Adverse Events After Ankle Fracture Open Reduction Internal Fixation Among Patients With and Without Documented Cannabis and Tobacco Use

Background: Ankle fractures are common orthopaedic injuries that may be indicated for open reduction internal fixation (ORIF). Although the negative impact of tobacco use on perioperative outcomes of ankle fracture ORIF has been described, the potential impact of cannabis use on related outcomes is not as well established. Methods: Retrospective database study of adult patients undergoing ankle ORIF for closed, isolated, ankle fractures from the 2010-2021 Q1 PearlDiver M151 data set. Subcohorts without and with cannabis and/or tobacco use were identified based on coding and matched based on patient age, sex, and Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI) scores to yield groups of nonusers, tobacco users, tobacco and cannabis users, and cannabis users. Ninety-day adverse events were assessed between matched subcohorts with multivariable logistic regression controlling for age, sex, and ECI. Results: A total of 149 289 patients met study inclusion criteria for whom tobacco only use was documented for 14 989 (10.0%), tobacco and cannabis use for 2726 (1.8%), and cannabis only use for 867 (0.6%). Matching yielded 823 for each group. On multivariable analyses, isolated tobacco users were at higher odds of 90-day urinary tract infections (UTIs) (odds ratio [OR] 2.64), minor adverse events (OR 2.33), all-cause adverse events (OR 2.17), readmissions (OR 1.85), and severe adverse events (OR 1.84). Tobacco and cannabis comorbid users were at a marginally higher odds of 90-day UTI (OR 2.82), minor adverse events (OR 2.51), readmissions (OR 2.39), and any adverse events (OR 2.22). Cannabis only users were not at greater odds of 90-day adverse events relative to nonusers. Conclusion: Patients with tobacco use (alone or with cannabis) were at greater odds of 90-day adverse events following ankle fracture ORIF, but cannabis only users were not. Level of Evidence: Level III, Retrospective database study.