Prospective, single-center, comparative and randomized study based on a cohort of 200 patients with an ankle fracture. The patients will be assigned to one of the following group: with or without oxygen therapy. Patients in the experimental group will receive the oxygen just before the operation, and during the hospitalization. The rest of the care is the same for the 2 groups. Comparison of complication rate, of quality of healing, rate of revision surgery, delay in bone healing, rate of pseudoarthrosis, and ankle pain will be done between the 2 groups during a postoperative period of 6 months. A cost-utility analysis will also be realized. In a subgroup of 40 patients, additional transcutaneous oxygen pressure measurements will be performed to compare the evolution of tissue oxygenation between the 2 groups.
Ankle fractures are one of the most common surgeries in the world. After this kind of surgery, complications can occur, related to the scar or an infection. These complications are more frequent in high-risk patients. Nasal oxygen therapy is currently used in order to reduce these complications. However, no study proved its efficiency yet. In a cohort of 200 patients, one group will receive oxygen therapy during hospitalization, while the other will not. Complication rates will be observed up to 6 months after the operation