The Effect of Psychiatric Disorders on Ankle Fracture Outcomes

This study examines the association between psychiatric disorders and in-hospital outcomes following ankle fractures. The authors hypothesized that the presence of psychiatric disorders would be associated with inferior in-hospital outcomes compared to those found in patients without psychiatric disorders. Presence and type of psychiatric disorder, demographics, comorbidities, time to surgery, length of stay (LOS), and total charge were compared for patients hospitalized with ankle fractures. Multivariate regression analysis of National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database showed that the presence of a psychiatric disorder negatively impacted outcomes in inpatient ankle fractures and was associated with increased LOS, increased time to surgery, and increased total charges. The presence of a psychiatric disorder in patients hospitalized with ankle fractures was associated with poorer inpatient outcomes. By recognizing the impact that psychiatric disorders can have on orthopaedic patients, this study suggests that addressing patients’ psychosocial factors may lead to improved outcomes. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 35(3):129–133, 2026)

Key words: ankle fracture, psychiatric disorder, length of stay, patient demographics, comorbidities, total charge