Foot injuries, playing surface and shoe design: Should we be thinking more about injury prevention.

The increasing use of artificial pitches has occurred in a multitude of sports at both professional and amateur levels. Artificial turf has become an extremely attractive option as it is felt to encourage a faster, safer and more entertaining play. However these pitches are not without controversy among sporting professionals and in the media. Foot and ankle injury in sport remains incredibly common and a significant burden on health professionals, but what impact do the new artificial surfaces have on these injuries. This review article aims to establish whether artificial turf has an impact on injury rates in the foot and ankle.

Arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis.

Arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis is a good option for the treatment of end-stage ankle arthritis. The surgical technique involving the use of a standard 4.5-mm arthroscope is described. Standard anteromedial and anterolateral portals are used. Joint surfaces except the lateral gutter are prepared to point bleeding with motorized burr, abraider, and curettes. Rigid fixation is achieved with cannulated screws. The postoperative regime includes 12 weeks protection, staged from non-weight bearing through partial to full weight bearing. Advantages compared with the open procedure include shorter hospital stay and shorter time to union with similar or better union rates.

Arthroscopic triple fusion joint preparation using two lateral portals: a cadaveric study to evaluate efficacy and safety.

BACKGROUND: Arthroscopic triple fusion has several advantages over open techniques, but its use has yet to become widespread. Preliminary published techniques use five portals with neurovascular risk. Our aim was to assess the safety and efficacy of an alternative lateral two portal technique. METHODS: Four cadaveric hindfeet were arthroscopically prepared for a triple fusion using two lateral portals. The distance to relevant subcutaneous nerves was measured as well as the prepared joint surface percentage. RESULTS: Mean distance from mid-lateral portal to the nearest sural nerve branch was 22.3mm (range 20-24mm) and from the dorsolateral portal to the intermediate branch of the superficial peroneal nerve was 7.8mm (range 4-11mm). Mean percentages of joint preparation were 63% (talar head), 62% (navicular), 75% (calcaneum) and 74% (cuboid). CONCLUSIONS: Two lateral arthroscopic portals allow adequate joint preparation for triple fusion procedures. The proximity of subcutaneous nerves is important to appreciate when using these portals.

Arthroscopic resection of talocalcaneal coalitions--a bicentre case series of a new technique.

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic tarsal coalitions failing conservative treatment are traditionally managed by open resection. We describe an arthroscopic technique for excising talocalcaneal coalitions and present a retrospective two-surgeon case series of the first eight patients (nine feet). METHODS: Outcome measures include restoration of subtalar movements, return to work and sports, visual analogue pain scales and Sports Athlete Foot and Ankle Scores (SAFAS). Follow-up ranges from 1 to 5.5 years. RESULTS: Pain and SAFAS improved in 7 patients. Subtalar movements were improved in all feet. All patients achieved early good function but one relapsed requiring subsequent fusions. One posterior tibial nerve was damaged. CONCLUSIONS: Minimal destruction of bone and soft tissues allows early mobilization and minimizes pain. Patient selection and preoperative planning are crucial to avoid relapse and complication. This series from two independent surgeons supports the feasibility and effectiveness of this technique.

Ground Reaction Force Calcaneal Offset: A new measurement of hindfoot alignment.

BACKGROUND: The tibio-calcaneal angle (TCA) does not measure individual forefoot contributions to the overall foot balance. Using standard radiographs we calculated the ideal hindfoot alignment based on ground reaction force (GRF), independently from the tibial axis. METHODS: Thirty-six patients (40ft.) were included. Mean age was 56. Weight bearing radiographs were taken. Calcaneal offsets were measured using tibio-calcaneal angles and GRF algorithms. Measurements were compared using the Bland-Altman method. FINDINGS: Both methods agreed (p>0.05) but individual discrepancies were found. Mean measured offsets were -11.5mm (SD: 10.2) using TCA and -8mm (SD: 9.3) using GRF. Mean bias between the methods was -0.88mm. INTERPRETATION: The GRF algorithm successfully measured hindfoot alignment. The absence of a previous gold standard and radiographic variability are a limit. The TCA underestimated calcaneal offset. Discrepancies showed that forefoot position data provided increased accuracy. This could be of particular relevance for surgical planning.

The use of proximal and distal tibial bone graft in foot and ankle procedures.

The techniques of proximal and distal tibial bone grafting have been well described in the literature. With the growth of a variety of new bone grafting techniques, the proximal and distal tibial bone sites remain reliable and safe for the retrieval of cancellous graft. These sites, particularly the upper tibia, provide large amounts of cancellous graft with little donor site morbidity. Proximal and distal tibial bone grafting remains a technique against which other grafting techniques should be measured.

Bone graft harvest from the proximal tibia in foot and ankle arthrodesis surgery.

BACKGROUND: Fresh autogenous cancellous bone graft is the material of choice in reconstruction and fusion procedures in foot and ankle surgery. There are many potential donor sites for graft harvest, all with recognized minor and major complications. The proximal tibia is one such potential site and is particularly suited to foot and ankle surgery, because it is within the operative field and under tourniquet control. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of 148 procedures using bone graft from the proximal tibia performed over a period of 5 years. Minimum followup was 3 months. Data were obtained from operative notes and patient interviews to establish pain, morbidity, and overall satisfaction. RESULTS: Most patients had no pain (78%) or very mild pain (20%) at the site of graft harvest immediately after surgery. At followup, 96% had no pain and 4% had very mild pain with certain activities such as kneeling. There were no major complications. Four patients (2.7%) had persisting areas of paresthesia at followup, but none were troubled by it. One patient had a superficial wound infection that resolved. The period of nonweightbearing, usually 2 to 3 weeks, was dictated by the primary procedure. There were no complications related to early weightbearing CONCLUSIONS: The proximal tibia is a suitable and safe site for bone graft harvest for foot and ankle surgery. There is no need for additional restrictions in weightbearing after this procedure.