Abstract:Objective To compare the effect of modified longitudinal curved incision posteromedial, combined posteromedial and posterolateral, and Achilles tendon-splitting posteromedial approaches for plate internal fixation in treating Haraguchi type II posterior malleolus fractures.Methods Clinical data of 127 patients with Haraguchi type II posterior malleolus fractures admitted to the 904th Hospital of the Joint Service Support Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army from March 2020 to February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into group A (n = 42), group B (n = 43) and group C (n = 42) by the random number table method. Group A was treated with the combined posteromedial and posterolateral approach, group B was treated with the Achilles tendon-splitting posteromedial approach, and group C was treated with modified longitudinal curved incision posteromedial approach. The perioperative data, surgical outcomes, quality of fracture reduction, fracture healing time and complications of the three groups were compared.Results The intraoperative blood loss in group B and group C was lower than that in group A (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the operative duration and the incision healing grade among the groups (P > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores and the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores at 3 months and 2 years after surgery among the groups (P > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences among the three groups in time to full weight-bearing, ankle flexion - plantarflexion range of motion (ROM), or ankle flexion - dorsiflexion ROM (P > 0.05). The quality of fracture reduction in groups B and C was significantly better than that in group A (P < 0.05), and the time to fracture union was significantly shorter in groups B and C than in group A (P < 0.05). Group A had the highest overall complication rate (P < 0.012 5), whereas group C had the lowest (P < 0.012 5).Conclusion Compared with the combined posteromedial and posterolateral approach, the modified longitudinal curved incision posteromedial and Achilles tendon-splitting posteromedial approaches can reduce the risk of complications, improve reduction quality, shorten fracture healing time, and mitigate surgical trauma in patients with Haraguchi type II posterior malleolar fractures.