Treatment of acute Jones fracture with Ilizarov external minifixator: case series of six elite athletes.

No consensus has been reached about the optimal treatment of Jones fractures, especially in elite athletes. Furthermore, only limited experience with external fixation of acute Jones fractures in these patients is available. The aim of the present retrospective study was to report the clinical evaluation of a series of 6 patients--elite athletes--with unilateral acute Jones fracture, who underwent external fixation of the fracture with an Ilizarov minifixator. Treatment success and the intervals to union and the return to full athlete activity were measured for each patient. The mean follow-up duration was 48 (range 24 to 72) months. The average period from surgery to clinical healing of the fracture was 4.1 (range 4.0 to 4.2) weeks, and the interval from surgery to radiographic consolidation of the fracture was 5.8 (range 5.4 to 6.4) weeks. The patients had returned to full athletic activity by 6.7 (range 6.4 to 6.9) weeks postoperatively. No major complications developed. No cases of treatment failure (nonunion, delayed union, or refracture) were observed during the follow-up period. Our results have shown that the Ilizarov external minifixator is a reliable surgical option for the treatment of acute Jones fractures in elite athletes, allowing an early return to full competitive athletic activity. Application of this apparatus is fast and relatively simple, with a percentage of radiographic consolidation and clinical healing comparable to that with screw fixation techniques.