Foot & Ankle International

Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is a progressive inherited neurologic disorder causing muscle weakness and lower extremity deformity. The goal of foot and ankle surgical treatment is to create a stable, plantigrade foot, with the potential elimination of brace-wear for ambulation. The aim of this study was to report baseline CMT patient function and subsequent outcome improvement from surgical treatment, as determined by PROMIS physical function (PF), pain interference (PI), and mental health/depression (D) scores.   In conclusion, surgical treatment for CMT patients provides significant clinical improvement in all measured outcome domains. CMT patients can be restored to normal population physical function and pain interference outcome scores. Patients with more severe deformity have similar improvement from surgical treatment, although their ultimate functional improvement is blunted due to a lower baseline.   Click here to read the article.

Pain in the hallux metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) is very common, yet the underlying etiology remains unknown. Previous clinical research and biomechanical research has implicated stenosing flexor hallucis longus (FHL) tendonitis as a possible cause. The hypothesis of this study was that treatment solely focusing on alleviating restricted FHL excursion would be beneficial in patients with hallux MTPJ pain.   In conclusion, previous biomechanical studies have suggested that stenosing FHL synovitis can cause increased intraarticular loading in the hallux MTPJ. The current clinical study supports this hypothesis, demonstrating that treatment focused on relieving restricted FHL excursion can ameliorate pain in the hallux MTPJ in select cases.     Click here to read the article.

It has been assumed that diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy should not have pain associated with Charcot foot arthropathy.   In conclusion, this small series of patients would suggest that nonunion of the Charcot neuroarthropathy process was responsible for complaints of pain not able to be managed with therapeutic footwear. Successful arthrodesis resolved the pain. CT imaging may help identify a treatable source of pain in this population.     Click here to read the article.

Minimally invasive bunionectomy (MISB) has emerged as a popular approach to treat symptomatic hallux valgus deformity. Although previous studies focused on distal foot width changes postsurgery, this research introduces a novel midshaft measurement to evaluate proximal transverse midfoot width, aiming for a comprehensive understanding of foot changes post-MISB.   In conclusion, we found in this cohort of 44 patients that MISB for HV leads to an expected decrease in distal bony foot width but, on average, an increase in midshaft foot width.     Click here to read the article.

The purpose of this study was to (1) evaluate the rates of postoperative complications following ankle or hindfoot arthrodesis among current smokeless tobacco users and people who smoke compared to matched controls, and (2) compare rates of postoperative complications in current smokeless tobacco users vs people who smoke tobacco cigarettes.   In conclusion, smokeless tobacco use is associated with higher rates of complications following ankle or hindfoot arthrodesis compared with tobacco-naïve controls, and physicians should screen for smokeless tobacco use specifically and encourage cessation before operating electively.   Click here to read the article.

The utilization of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) for managing severe ankle osteoarthritis has become increasingly common, leading to a higher occurrence of revision TAA procedures because of failure of primary TAA. This study aims to examine the clinical results associated with revision TAA using the INBONE II system. Given the growing number of TAA revision procedures and a focus on motion-preserving salvage options, we evaluated our early experience with revision TAA.   In conclusion, we report high complication rates but generally fair clinical results for revision TAA utilizing the INBONE II system.   Click here to read the article.

Although intraoperative ankle motion serves as a foundational reference for anticipated motion after surgery and guides the addition of procedures to enhance ankle motion in total ankle arthroplasty (TAA), the relationship between intraoperative and postoperative ankle motion remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the discrepancy between intraoperative and postoperative ankle range of motion (ROM) following TAAs using the anterior-approach, fixed-bearing systems.   In conclusion, this study revealed a significant difference between intraoperative ankle ROM and ankle ROM approximately 1 year after anterior-approach, fixed-bearing TAA, mainly due to plantarflexion motion restriction. Minimal difference in dorsiflexion suggests the importance of achieving the desired postoperative dorsiflexion motion during the surgery using the best possible adjunct procedures.   Click here to read the article.

There is a lack of consensus in the use of open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) vs primary arthrodesis (PA) in the management of Lisfranc injuries. Statistical fragility represents the number of events needed to flip statistical significance and provides context to interpret P values of outcomes from conflicting studies. The current study evaluates the statistical fragility of existing research with an outcome-specific approach to provide statistical clarity to the ORIF vs PA discussion. We hypothesized that statistical fragility analysis would offer clinically relevant insight when interpreting conflicting outcomes regarding ORIF vs PA management of Lisfranc injuries.   In conclusion, the overall research regarding ORIF vs PA is relatively robust compared with other orthopaedic areas of controversy. Although the full statistical context of each article must be considered, studies supporting PA superiority with regard to functional scores and return to function metrics were found to be statistically robust. Outcome-specific analysis revealed moderate fragility in several clinically relevant outcomes such as functional score, return to function, and wound complications.   Click here to read the article.

Type C3 distal tibial plafond fractures consistently show poor outcomes with high complication rates and significant risk of posttraumatic arthritis. We describe a minimally invasive technique of performing a primary ankle fusion using an anterograde tibial nail and compare our early results to traditional methods of fixation.   In conclusion, C3 distal tibial plafond fractures are difficult to manage and there has not been a satisfactory method of treating them that allows early return to work, has a low risk of complications, and reduces the risk of posttraumatic tibiotalar arthritis.   We present our initial results with a method that uses traditional arthroscopic techniques to prepare the tibiotalar joint together with minimally invasive anterograde tibiotalar nailing. In this initial report of a small group of patients, we found that surgery can be performed once the swelling has subsided after injury and that allowing weightbearing as tolerated did not appear to have a negative effect on initial outcomes.   Click here to read the article.

Postoperative care protocols for ankle fracture surgery remain controversial with variability among care providers. This prospective controlled trial compared 12-week postoperative outcomes for immediate unprotected weightbearing (IMWB) vs nonweightbearing (NWB) for 2 weeks in a splint followed by weightbearing as tolerated (WBAT) in a boot after surgical fixation of selected low-energy ankle fractures without superior articular involvement.   In conclusion, in this short-term and relatively small prospective trial, we found more wound complications among patients treated with immediate unprotected weightbearing compared with patients treated with 2 weeks of NWB followed by protected weightbearing. Given the low incidence and small sample size, we do not know if these observed findings are generalizable. However, we also found no difference in functional outcomes at 12 weeks postoperation between these 2 groups. In light of that, we do not recommend IMWB after open reduction internal fixation of low-energy ankle fractures with plate and/or screw fixation.   Click here to read the article