Background: Displaced intraarticular calcaneal fractures (DIACFs) are associated with high rates of posttraumatic arthritis. Traditional management with open subtalar arthrodesis often results in high revision rates and complications. Acute open arthrodesis has shown success in Sanders III and IV calcaneus fractures, with favorable return-to-work and radiographic fusion outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Am Acad Orthop Surg
April 2025
Hammertoe is a common foot deformity that originates from the proximal interphalangeal joint of the lesser toes. The deformity involves an imbalance between the muscles and tendons that control toe movement, leading to deformity. Hammertoes can result from various factors, including genetic predisposition, ill-fitting footwear, trauma, or underlying medical conditions such as neuromuscular disorders or diabetic neuropathy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJBJS Essent Surg Tech
January 2025
Background: An all-inside endoscopic flexor hallucis longus (FHL) tendon transfer is indicated for the treatment of chronic, full-thickness Achilles tendon defects. The aim of this procedure is to restore function of the gastrocnemius-soleus complex while avoiding the wound complications associated with open procedures.
Description: This procedure can be performed through 2 endoscopic portals, a posteromedial portal (the working portal) and a posterolateral portal (the visualization portal).
JBJS Essent Surg Tech
November 2024
Acute brain injuries are caused by a variety of etiologies, each potentially disrupting neurological function. The neurologic impairments are on a spectrum of severity often creating functional barriers to completing activities of daily living. Initial treatment starts immediately upon diagnosis and requires a multimodal approach working to prevent systemic changes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Military transport can induce whole-body vibrations, and combat almost always involves high impact between lower extremities and the ground. Therefore, robust splinting technology is necessary for lower extremity fractures in these settings. Our team compared a novel one-step spray-on foam splint (FastCast) to the current military standard structured aluminum malleable (SAM) splint.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJBJS Essent Surg Tech
March 2023
JBJS Essent Surg Tech
February 2023
Background: Talar arthroscopic reduction and internal fixation (TARIF) is an alternative approach for the operative fixation of talar fractures that may be utilized instead of more traditional open approaches such as medial, lateral, or even dual anterolateral. The TARIF approach allows for nearly anatomic fracture reduction and fixation of talar neck, body, and posterior dome fractures while minimizing the soft-tissue stripping and vascular injury associated with the standard anterolateral approach.
Description: Following initial closed fracture reduction and any associated procedures, we recommend obtaining computed tomography scans of the injured ankle in order to evaluate the fracture pattern and allow for preoperative planning.
JBJS Essent Surg Tech
January 2024
Neurologic foot contractures pose a challenging situation for orthopaedic surgeons. These deformities are long-standing problems for patients with acute brain injuries, ultimately affecting their quality of life. We report our experience with using arthroscopic assisted, minimally invasive contracture tenotomies paired with a tibio-talo-calcaneal arthrodesis to achieve improved alignment and functional reconstruction of spastic equinovarus foot deformities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTreatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus proves to be challenging given the unique anatomy of the intra-articular surface and associated complexity of larger lesions. Simple bone marrow-stimulating procedures for large complex lesions often lead to poor results with increased risk of lesion progression, refractory pain, and associated functional limitations. Other methods of osteochondral autografts or allografts often require osteotomies, bone windows, or fibrin glue, which are associated with donor pain and nonunion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMore than 30,000 ankle sprains occur each day in the United States, and the majority of ankle sprains involve the anterior talofibular ligament. Up to 30% of patients develop functional ankle instability and chronic pain after a severe ankle sprain. When nonoperative measures are unsuccessful, operative reconstruction of the lateral ankle ligaments is recommended.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJBJS Essent Surg Tech
November 2022
Foot Ankle Spec
June 2024
Introduction: Lateral ankle sprains are the most common type of injury to the ankle and can lead to ankle instability. There are many described techniques for the surgical treatment of lateral ankle instability. The purpose of this study is to quantify the variation in surgeon technique for lateral ankle instability treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGreat toe metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) arthroscopy has been described in the literature for more than 50 years for treatment of a multitude of first MTPJ pathologies, including hallux rigidus, hallux valgus, and osteochondritis dissecans, among others. Despite this, the use of great toe MTPJ arthroscopy has not become widely used for treatment of these conditions as the result of reported difficulties with adequate visualization of the joint surface and manipulation of surrounding soft-tissue structures with the instruments available. We propose a simple technique with illustrations of the operating room setup and procedural steps to perform a dorsal cheilectomy in those with early-stage hallux rigidus using great toe MTPJ arthroscopy and a minimally invasive surgical burr in a way that is reproducible by foot and ankle surgeons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Cervical spine immobilization in a low-resource environment is difficult secondary to limited equipment, prolonged transportation, and secondary complications. A structural aluminum malleable (SAM) splint is commonly utilized because of its availability and multipurpose intention. A one-step spray-on foam immobilization technique (Fast Cast) has been shown to be effective in lower-extremity splinting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJBJS Essent Surg Tech
September 2022
Unlabelled: Achilles tendon ruptures commonly occur in physically active individuals and drastically alter the ability to perform recreational activities. Many patients want to continue participating in recreational activities, which can be facilitated by operatively treating the injury in a timely fashion, maximizing their functional recovery. The Percutaneous Achilles Repair System (PARS) Jig (Arthrex) can be utilized in patients with acute mid-substance Achilles tendon ruptures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArthrosc Tech
November 2022
Joint-spanning external fixation in acute ankle trauma is a means to provide temporary stability and restoration of length, alignment, and articular congruency. This allows for soft-tissue consolidation before definitive fixation to decrease the risk of wound complications. Traction is commonly used during definitive fixation to aid in fracture reduction and to maintain reduction during placement of internal hardware.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClinical Scenario: Acute Achilles tendon ruptures can be devastating injuries with the potential to significantly alter an individual's ability to perform functional activities. Given the rise in the incidence of acute Achilles tendon ruptures, it is important to determine whether percutaneous versus open Achilles tendon repair facilitates superior outcomes.
Clinical Question: In physically active adults with an acute Achilles tendon rupture, does performing percutaneous Achilles tendon repair result in improved outcomes compared with open Achilles tendon repair?
Summary Of Key Findings: Percutaneous Achilles tendon repair has similar efficacy as open Achilles tendon repair in facilitating return to activity/sport, and demonstrates improvement in short-term functional outcomes with potentially lower wound complication rates.
Foot Ankle Orthop
October 2021
Background: Foot and ankle injuries frequently require a period of nonweightbearing, resulting in muscle atrophy. Our previous study compared a hands-free single crutch (HFSC) to standard axillary crutches and found increased muscle recruitment and intensity while using the HFSC. Knee scooters are another commonly prescribed nonweightbearing device.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Splinting is an essential component of treating many lower extremity musculoskeletal injuries; however, little development has been made in splinting technology. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of current immobilization equipment for lower extremity fractures by testing a novel one-step spray-on foam splint (Fast Cast) against structural aluminum malleable (SAM) lower extremity musculoskeletal injuries and 6-inch ACE (3M Corp., Minneapolis, MN, USA) bandage splints.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFoot Ankle Int
February 2021