Foot & Ankle International

A simple, one-stage surgical reconstruction was performed on 20 feet with congenital vertical talus in 13 consecutive children. A newly devised outcome scoring system with seven clinical and eight radiographic parameters was utilized to determine correction of all feet at average follow-up of 41 months. There were no excellent, 17 good, 3 fair, and no poor results, with few associated perioperative complications. Clinically, mild postoperative stiffness of ankle and subtalar motion was occasionally noted. Radiographically, many feet had mild residual forefoot abduction with midfoot sagging at the talonavicular joint. Despite these mild postoperative abnormalities, good correction with plantigrade, painless feet was generally obtained when this procedure was performed in children younger than 27 months of age.

We present the results of observations on a series of 77 flat feet treated by Viladot's surgical technique and prosthesis between 1981 and 1989. The correction was evaluated by photopodograms and radiographs. In the final evaluation, 45 cases (58.44%) were judged to have excellent results, 24 (29.87%) good results, 2 (2.59%) fair results, and 7 (9.09%) poor results.

A method for measuring hallucal rotation on weightbearing tangential radiographs is described. Under controlled conditions using cadaver specimens, 10° changes in hallucal rotation were associated with a mean change in radiographically measured rotation of 10.6° (S.D. = 2.3°). A clinical study of 30 control patients and 39 patients presenting with a chief complaint of a bunion deformity was undertaken to assess the reliability of the measurement method. The overall reliability was high for both groups (r = 0.98). A significant difference was found between mean values for hallucal rotation in the two groups (P < 0.005). There is a modest association between increasing valgus deviation and increasing rotation of the hallux (r = 0.43, P < 0.01). This study suggests that bunion deformities involve variable degrees of axial and coronal plane rotations of the first metatarsophalangeal joint and that the concept of a planar “hallux valgus” deformity may insufficiently describe this three-dimensional clinical condition.

From 1987 to 1994, the senior author performed 41 Achilles tendon repairs. We identified 11 patients during this period (age, 35.3 years; range, 26–60 years) who fit the criterion for neglected Achilles tendon rupture (repair ≥ 4 weeks and ≤ 12 weeks from injury). All patients underwent proximal release of the gastrocsoleus complex, imbrication of the early fibrous scar without excision of any local tissue, and primary repair of the tendinous ends with two No. 5 Ticron sutures (5R, 6L). Several (three to five) No. 0 Vicryl sutures were used to augment the repair. The ankle was placed in a 20° plantarflexion nonweightbearing short leg cast for 3 weeks. All skin closures were primary. At 3 weeks, weightbearing as tolerated was initiated in a short leg cast. The cast was discontinued at 6 weeks, and physical therapy was initiated, consisting of range of motion exercises and closed kinetic exercises, progressing to functional exercises as swelling, strength, and pain allowed. Minimal follow-up was 18 months (mean, 3.5 years; range, 1.5–5.8 years). There have been no subsequent ruptures to date. All patients returned to a preinjury level of activity at a mean of 5.8 months (range, 2.5–9 months). Total range of motion was not different (P > 0.05) between the involved (67°) and uninvolved (74°) ankle. Plantarflexion loss of strength in the involved ankle was the same (98.4%, 88.1%, and 87.6% respectively, involved to uninvolved) as that seen after acute repair at all speeds tested. Visual analog pain scale (0 to 10) revealed a mean score of 0.7 (range, 0–2) during activities of daily living and 1.0 (range, 0–3) during sports activity. The subjective and objective outcome was similar (P > 0.05) to that seen after an acute repair by the same surgeon. There were no complications including skin sloughs or nerve damage. We believe this is the first article to report the results after primary repair without augmentation for the neglected Achilles tendon rupture. We conclude that this approach can result in excellent clinical and functional outcome, a low rate of subsequent rupture, and a high rate of return to sports in the recreational athlete whose repair is performed between 4 and 12 weeks after injury.

Fifty-eight patients suffering from achillodynia for a median of 12 months (range, 4–240 months) were analyzed using history, clinical findings, ultrasound findings, histopathology, and surgical outcome. Surgical criteria were daily pain or inability to perform sports activity and failure of nonoperative treatment. There were 34 men and 24 women, 31% (18 of 58 patients) of whom had no direct association with sports or vigorous physical activity. Ultrasonography was performed in all cases and showed low echogenous areas (N = 48), increased tendon diameter (N = 40), and/or peritendinous fluid (N = 11). Histopathological evaluation of tendon biopsies, obtained from regions showing pathology at surgery (N = 35), revealed altered fiber structure and arrangement, focal variations in cellularity, extracellular glycosaminoglycans, neovascularization, and/or hyalinization. In no case was inflammatory cell infiltration observed. At a median clinical follow-up of 25 months after surgery, symptoms were decreased in 86% of patients, and 76% had reached a higher activity level compared with the level before surgery. Complications occurred in 13% of operations.

In conclusion, achillodynia is not always associated with excessive physical activity. Macroscopic pathologic tendons showed marked histopathologic changes, correlating well with ultrasound findings. Surgical treatment was beneficial in most cases, despite a relatively high complication rate. The etiology and reason for the lack of healing response to rest and nonoperative treatment are unclear.

We reviewed our results of nonoperative and operative treatment of chronic Achilles tenosynovitis to further define outcomes and treatment parameters. Forty-one patients presented with an average of 14 weeks of Achilles tendon symptoms. All patients received nonsurgical treatment initially, and 21 patients (51%) recovered after an average of 18 weeks of therapy. Three additional patients improved after brisement of the tendon/peritenon interspace. Seventeen of 41 patients eventually underwent soft tissue tenolysis and/or excision of degenerative tendon cysts.

Those patients who responded to nonoperative therapy tended to be younger (average age, 33 years) than those who had degenerative tendon changes requiring surgery (average age, 48 years). All surgical patients were able to return to unrestricted activity after 31 weeks (range, 27–48 weeks). We believe 4 to 6 months of nonsurgical therapy is appropriate for middle aged patients or athletes with chronic Achilles tenosynovitis. Those that fail this treatment will improve with a limited debridement of diseased tissue without excessive soft tissue dissection of the tendon.

Plantar puncture wounds to the foot are a common injury. A small number (1.8%) of these puncture wounds become infected and progress to osteomyelitis. The purpose of this article is to report the cases of six patients who developed osteomyelitis of the calcaneus after a puncture wound to the heel caused by a nail. The characteristics of the patients, the pathogenic organism, and the outcome were studied. Patients who were healthy and had no systemic illness (N = 4) had only one pathogenic organism cultured, whereas patients who had systemic illness (diabetes mellitus, N = 2) had more than one pathogenic organism cultured. The only amputation in this group occurred in a patient with diabetes mellitus. It was concluded that diabetic patients who develop calcaneal osteomyelitis from a nail puncture wound are more likely to have multiple pathogens cultured. Furthermore, if a diabetic neuropathy is also present, the nail puncture wound may be the initial injury leading to a chronic ulceration, increasing the risk of amputation.

We retrospectively reviewed the treatment of a selected group of 23 patients with pseudoarthrosis after ankle arthrodesis who underwent revision arthrodesis at an average of 1.7 years (range, 0.3–17.0 years) after the initial, unsuccessful procedure. Fourteen patients underwent isolated revision tibiotalar arthrodesis, and 9 had an additional hindfoot arthrodesis (7 tibiotalocalcaneal, 2 pantalar) performed at the time of the procedure. Rigid internal fixation with screws was performed when possible, and, in patients with poor bone quality, an external fixator was used. Autogenous bone grafting was used in 14 patients where bone loss was present. Twenty-one of 23 patients had successful union (average, 14 weeks; range, 6–48 weeks). Two patients had persistent ankle nonunions; one was asymptomatic, and one had symptomatic subtalar arthritis. Two patients underwent successful arthrodesis but had persistent pain from reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Overall, 19 of 23 patients were satisfied with the surgery. We conclude that revision arthrodesis for tibiotalar pseudoarthrosis is a worthwhile procedure.

Acquired hallux varus most commonly occurs after hallux valgus surgery. Sagittal plane, coronal plane, and varus deformities are present at the metatarsophalangeal joint. Evaluation of both the metatarsophalangeal and interphalangeal joints for mobility is necessary in surgical decision making. Not all patients require surgery. The anatomy, incidence, pathogenesis, evaluation, classification, and treatment of acquired hallux varus are discussed in this review.

This retrospective study was undertaken to determine the long-term clinical problems, residual disability, and need for further surgery in patients with iatrogenic hallux varus. Between 1975 and 1985, in 16 (19 feet) of 83 patients who underwent foot surgery for hallux valgus or metatarsus primus varus, hallux varus deformity was noted at 1-year follow-up on dorsoplantar roentgenograms obtained with the patients bearing weight. Thirteen of those patients (16 feet) were reexamined at an average of 18.3 years (220 months) after surgery. The average hallux varus deformity in this group was 10.1°. Eleven patients (12 feet) rated their results as excellent. The average hallux metatarsophalangeal interphalangeal score for all patients was 91.5 points. Only those with extreme hallux varus deformity were dissatisfied or required further surgery.

Increasing use of air bags and seat belts has led to the saving of many lives. However, the orthopaedic surgeon is now left to manage increasing numbers of serious foot and ankle trauma. It is important to injury prevention programs to have an injury severity scale for these injuries. The Abbreviated Injury Scale is used widely; however, it is intended primarily to gauge possibility of death after accidents. It is not sensitive enough to give meaningful data about the foot and ankle trauma epidemic.

The Trauma Committee of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society has developed a rank order list of 91 foot and ankle injuries that commonly occur in vehicular crashes. The injuries are ranked according to severity (FASS-S). Estimated long-term impairment is also given for each injury (FASS-I). This scale is designed as a guideline to help rank importance and impairment of vehicular crash injuries. It is expected that the scale will be modified as future validity testing and other research dictates.