Foot/Ankle News

CHICAGO — At the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Annual Meeting, Justin M. Kane, MD, discussed the role of total ankle arthroplasty in stiff ankles. He said total ankle arthroplasty was a good surgical procedure with highly reliable outcomes in patients with stiff ankle motion.

CHICAGO — At the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Annual Meeting, Steven M. Raikin, MD, discussed a study that looked at degenerative changes at the metatarsal head sesamoid articulation seen during surgery for hallux valgus correction. He said there was a high incidence of arthritis (87%) at the metatarsal head sesamoid articulation.

Acute midsubstance Achilles tendon ruptures are an increasingly common injury among athletic patients that can lead to significant functional limitations and decreased quality of life. Management of these injuries remains controversial with no consensus in the literature regarding the role of surgical treatment or optimal repair technique. Recent literature has shown that surgical repair can result in faster and a 16% to 24% increased return of calf muscle strength, decreased tendon elongation and improved physical function and pain scores compared to nonoperative functional rehabilitation. Various surgical techniques have been described for midsubstance Achilles ruptures including open repair with Krackow locking sutures, limited incision repair using suture-passing jigs and percutaneous repair. The overall goal of minimally invasive Achilles repair techniques is to maximize the functional benefits of direct tendon repair while minimizing postoperative complications, such as delayed wound healing and infection.

CHICAGO — At the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Annual Meeting, a presenter said there was significant decrease and cessation in narcotic consumption seen after percutaneous foot and ankle surgery with a multimodal program of analgesia compared with published reports of consumption after open procedures.

CHICAGO — At the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Annual Meeting, Judith F. Baumhauer, MD, discussed a study that looked at whether physical therapy produced value for nonoperatively managed foot and ankle patients. She said patient-reported outcomes measures information system (PROMIS) scales showed physical therapy was beneficial for these patients.

CHICAGO — At the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Annual Meeting, Gregory C. Berlet, MD, FRCS(C) FAOA, spoke about cheilectomy and use of the Cartiva (Cartiva Inc.) synthetic cartilage implant. He said this implant helps patients with pain, while preserving motion. Berlet noted pain scores with the Cartiva were similar to those achieved after fusion.

CHICAGO — At long-term follow-up, patients with sesamoiditis, fracture, nonunion, osteonecrosis and arthritis who underwent isolated fibular sesamoidectomy reported long-term pain relief, according to a presenter at the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Annual Meeting.

CHICAGO — Patient-reported outcomes improved and there was a high rate of return to sport in patients who underwent lower extremity fasciotomies for chronic exertional compartment syndrome, according to a presenter at the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Annual Meeting.

Published results showed ankle fractures surgically treated by orthopedic surgeons had lower rates of malunion and nonunion than when treated by podiatrists.

BOSTON — According to a presentation at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, arthroscopy after lateral ankle ligament surgery was more expensive but did not significantly increase the overall complication rate compared to surgery without arthroscopy.