Mid- to long-term outcome of 96 corrective hindfoot fusions in 84 patients with rigid flatfoot deformity.

Talonavicular and subtalar joint fusion through a medial incision (modified triple arthrodesis) has become an increasingly popular technique for treating symptomatic flatfoot deformity caused by posterior tibial tendon dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to look at its clinical and radiological mid- to long-term outcomes, including the rates of recurrent flatfoot deformity, nonunion and avascular necrosis of the dome of the talus. A total of 84 patients (96 feet) with a symptomatic rigid flatfoot deformity caused by posterior tibial tendon dysfunction were treated using a modified triple arthrodesis. The mean age of the patients was 66 years (35 to 85) and the mean follow-up was 4.7 years (1 to 8.3). Both clinical and radiological outcomes were analysed retrospectively. In 86 of the 95 feet (90.5%) for which radiographs were available, there was no loss of correction at final follow-up. In all, 14 feet (14.7%) needed secondary surgery, six for nonunion, two for avascular necrosis, five for progression of the flatfoot deformity and tibiotalar arthritis and one because of symptomatic overcorrection. The mean American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Hindfoot score (AOFAS score) at final follow-up was 67 (between 16 and 100) and the mean visual analogue score for pain 2.4 points (between 0 and 10). In conclusion, modified triple arthrodesis provides reliable correction of deformity and a good clinical outcome at mid- to long-term follow-up, with nonunion as the most frequent complication. Avascular necrosis of the talus is a rare but serious complication of this technique.

[Deinstitutionalization of chronic psychiatric patients exemplified by a public psychiatric hospital]. / Enthospitalisierung chronisch psychisch Kranker am Beispiel eines öffentlichen psychiatrischen Krankenhauses.

Basing on the multifarious phenomena of hospitalism in chronically mentally ill patients the authors report on a survey of known facts and analyses to enable focussing of appropriate on-target measures were taken to arrive at conclusions for caring for these long-term patients: 1. Fixing the deadline of the study; 2. Determining the quality of patient care; 3. Analysing the experiences collected in respect of the integrated training programme to promote cognitive, communicative and social abilities and skills among the patients in resident living quarters within the confines of the hospital. An attempt is made to arrive at an overall evaluation of the measures taken so far in respect of de-hospitalisation and in building up complementary settlements outside the hospital but close to communal institutions.

Irradiation and free tissue transfer in head and neck cancer.

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of surgery, irradiation, and free tissue transfer in locally advanced head and neck cancer patients. Forty-one patients with head and neck cancer were treated with surgery, irradiation, and free tissue transfer for reconstruction from 1977 to 1987. The age range was 38 to 78 years with a median age of 61. Patients were staged using the AJCC (1978) staging system. Eighty-four percent of the patients were in stage III or IV. The common sites of primary tumors were the oral cavity (22) and oropharynx (10). Forty patients had squamous cell carcinoma and 1 patient had basal cell carcinoma. Six patients had preoperative irradiation, and the rest had postoperative irradiation. The most common surgical procedures were partial glossectomy and neck dissection (17 patients) and wide excision of the primary and neck dissection (17 patients). The most common types of free tissue transfer were dorsalis pedis (13 patients) and scapular flaps (6 patients). The primary site was controlled in 22 patients (54%) and the neck in 36 patients (88%). Three patients (7.3%) had flap failure which required further surgical management. Eighteen patients are living with no evidence of disease with a median follow-up of 18 months (5-101 months), 10 patients are living with disease with a median follow-up of 9 months (3-40 months), 9 patients are dead of disease with a median survival of 13 months (6-54 months), and 4 patients are lost for follow-up. This study shows that free tissue transfer before or after irradiation is of benefit with few complications.