Foot/Ankle News

In this case, we have a 56-year-old otherwise healthy physician with right Achilles pain. He reports that he landed awkwardly approximately 8 months ago and has persistent pain and weakness. Upon examination, an intact Achilles tendon with a palpable nodule 3 cm proximal to the insertion was found. He had notable abnormality in his gait and weakness with plantarflexion.

ORLANDO, Fla. — At the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting, Steven B. Weinfield, MD, discussed a study which looked at the results in Charcot deformity patients who underwent tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis with either intramedullary (IM) nails or external ring fixation. He said both methods offered similar fusion and stability rates; however, higher complication rates were seen in those treated with IM nails.

ORLANDO, Fla. — At the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting, Steven B. Weinfield, MD, discussed a study which looked at nonsurgical vs. surgical treatment of displaced ankle fractures in diabetic patients. He said diabetic patients treated nonsurgically had extremely high complication rates.

Read the March issue of EFORT Open Reviews (EOR), the new open access journal from EFORT and the British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint Surgery.

A walking cast frame used for lower limb immobilization helped substantially reduce transmission of force through the foot during weight-bearing compared to a Sarmiento cast above the knee and a standard below-the-knee cast, based on study results presented here.

Results from a retrospective review showed an overall revision rate of 25.2% among patients with either peripheral arterial disease or diabetes who underwent lower extremity amputation, and indicated diabetic nephropathy and polyneuropathy as risk factors of revision.

Recently published results that evaluated high school and collegiate football players during the preseason highlighted lower Star Excursion Balance Test scores for anterior reach as a predictor of lateral ankle sprains and noted players who had these injuries had a significantly higher BMI.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Patients who underwent supervised physical therapy following surgical treatment of ankle fracture showed no differences in outcome scores compared with patients who had surgeon-directed rehabilitation, according to results presented here.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Results of a survey of 64 orthopedic surgeons presented here showed significant variability in how narcotics are prescribed for patients with foot and ankle pain. According to the researchers, these inconsistencies highlight the need for better, more clear-cut criteria on how to most efficiently use narcotics postoperatively.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Vancomycin powder used was linked to lower rates of deep surgical site infection following fracture in results of a study presented here at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting.