For decades, orthopedic surgeons have debated a deceptively simple question: when is it safe to put weight on a newly repaired ankle? Thanks to a bold new study titled “Intermediate Weight-Bearing Compared with Non-Weight-Bearing After Operative Ankle Fracture Fixation. Results of the INWN Pragmatic, Randomized, Multicenter Trial” we may finally have an answer—and it might just shake up standard rehab protocols around the world.
Published July 2, 2025, in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, the INWN Trial (“Is postoperative Non-Weight-bearing Necessary?”) delivers high-level evidence that early weight-bearing is not only safe—it may be the best thing you can do for patients after open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of an unstable ankle fracture.
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