Inappropriate antibiotic administration in the setting of Charcot arthropathy: A case series and literature review.

AIMS: Differentiating Charcot neuropathic osteoarthropathy (CN) from infection is challenging. The diagnosis of CN is often missed or delayed, resulting in inappropriate and delayed treatment. We hypothesized that the misdiagnosis of CN results in inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions and explore the sequelae of unnecessary antibiotic use. METHODS: A retrospective review of patient electronic medical records from January 2010 to December 2017 was conducted for those diagnosed with CN after being referred to an orthopaedic foot and ankle specialist. RESULTS: Our review showed 58 of 103 (56%) patients received antibiotics on the date, or within the next 7 days, of referral to foot and ankle orthopaedic specialist. The antibiotic of choice given on referral were as follows: Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim 18 of 58 (31%), doxycycline 13 of 58 (22%), clindamycin 13 of 58 (22%), cephalexin 9 of 58 (16%), minocycline 5 of 58 (9%). CONCLUSION: Missed diagnoses for CN are common and result in complications stemming from inappropriate treatment, delays in appropriate therapy, and may accelerate antibiotic resistance. Misdiagnosis of CN contributes to the inappropriate use of prescription antibiotics.

Orthopaedic In-Training Examination Resources and Residency Training for the Foot and Ankle Domain.

BACKGROUND: Residency programs use the annual Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE) prepared by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) to monitor resident progress and prepare them for the part 1 of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons (ABOS) Certifying Examination. The purpose of this study was to determine resources residents currently use to prepare for the OITE and also to learn about their perception of training they receive in the foot and ankle subspecialty in their program and their interest in foot and ankle fellowship after residency. METHODS: An anonymous survey was sent to both allopathic programs and osteopathic residents to learn what resources residents used to study for the OITE, preparatory question sets, on-call resources, their perception on training received in foot and ankle surgery, and their intent to pursue fellowship training. RESULTS: A total of 130 residents participated in the survey. The majority of residents in allopathic and osteopathic residencies used Orthobullets (OB) to prepare for the OITE and use this resource while on-call. Most residents also used OB question sets to study along with the AAOS self-assessment examinations. In total, 43.2% of osteopathic residents felt they did not get enough exposure to foot and ankle subspecialty while in training, in contrast to 31.2% of allopathic residents. A total of 35% of all orthopaedic surgery residents felt they lacked enough exposure to foot and ankle orthopaedic surgery. Only 7 residents (6%, 6 allopathic, 1 osteopathic) intended to pursue a foot and ankle fellowship following graduation. CONCLUSION: Online resources such as OB continue to be frequently used by residents for preparation for the OITE. Greater than one-third of orthopaedic residents feel they do not get enough exposure to foot and ankle orthopaedic surgery. Improvement in this area could be helped by continued endeavors from the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society such as the Visiting Professor Program and Resident Scholarship Program. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Level V: Single Cross-Sectional Study.

A Systematic Review of the Outcome Evaluation Tools for the Foot and Ankle.

Background. The goal of this systematic review is to determine the most commonly used outcome measurement tools used by foot and ankle specialists and determine their limitations, such as whether they are validated, have floor/ceiling effects, and so on. Methods. A literature search was conducted to identify primary publications between January 1, 2012 and July 1, 2017 that concern care of the foot and ankle and use any established grading criteria to evaluate patients. Results. In 669 publications, 76 scoring systems were used. The 10 most common were American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Score (AOFAS), visual analog scale (VAS), Short Form-36 (SF-36), Foot Function Index (FFI), Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), SF-12, Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA), Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale (AOS), and Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI). AOFAS was used in 393 articles, VAS in 308, and SF-36 in 133 publications. AOFAS, VAS, and SF-36 were used to evaluate 23,352, 20,759, and 13,184 patients respectively. AOFAS and VAS were used simultaneously in 172 publications. Conclusion. While there are many different scoring systems available for foot and ankle specialists to use to assess or demonstrate the effectiveness of treatments, the AOFAS, while it is an unvalidated scoring system, is the most commonly used scoring system in this review. Clinical Relevance. This review presents data about commonly used patient reported outcomes systems in foot and ankle surgery. Levels of Evidence: Level III: Systematic review.

Partial Extensor Hallucis Longus Injury Following Lisfranc Fixation Loosening.

Lisfranc injuries are typically treated in the acute setting with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). The type of hardware that provides the best fixation for these injuries has not been definitively determined. Recently, dorsal bridge plating has increased in popularity. We report a case of partial extensor hallucis longus (EHL) injury after dorsal bridge plate fixation of a Lisfranc injury. The patient was successfully treated with hardware removal, tendon debridement, and tubularization. This case highlights a potential complication of dorsal bridge plating in the treatment of Lisfranc injuries.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies negative levamisole-induced leukocytoclastic vasculitis: a presumed case and literature review.

Levamisole-contaminated cocaine toxicity is a serious emerging public health concern, and providers should be aware of its presentation and management. Most cases of levamisole-induced vasculitis/vasculopathy (LIV) are associated with high antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). We describe a unique case of a cocaine user who presented with an acute purpuric eruption and negative ANCA laboratory findings. A brief clinical overview of LIV, spanning from patient presentation to treatment, is provided. In addition, we present a summary of all cases of ANCA-negative vasculitis identified via a PubMed literature review.

Idiopathic Peroneal Tenosynovitis Caused by a Previously Undiagnosed Auto-immune Condition.

In this case report, we present a unique case of idiopathic peroneal tenosynovitis in an otherwise healthy patient, presenting with a three-month history of pain over the lateral aspect of the right foot. Imaging revealed that fluid distention and synovial thickening distend the common peroneal tendon sheath and peroneus longus and brevis tendon sheaths. The patient was managed operatively with excision of the peroneus longus tendon, a side-to-side tenodesis, and Bröstrom-Gould lateral ankle ligament repair. Histologic examination was suggestive of a chronic inflammatory process possibly due to underlying autoimmune etiology. At three-month follow-up, the patient reported complete resolution of pain and is resuming normal activities without difficulty.

A Comparison of Removal Rates of Headless Screws Versus Headed Screws in Calcaneal Osteotomy.

BACKGROUND: Calcaneal osteotomy has been used to successfully treat both valgus and varus hindfoot deformities. Pain associated with implanted hardware may lead to further surgical intervention for hardware removal. Headless screws have been used to reduce postoperative hardware-associated pain and accompanying hardware removal, but data proving their effectiveness in this regard is lacking. The purpose of this study is to compare the rates of removal of headed and headless screws utilized in calcaneal osteotomy. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 74 patients who underwent calcaneal osteotomy between January 2010 and December 2014. The cohort was divided into 2 groups by fixation method: a headed screw and a headless screw group. Bivariate associations between infection or hardware removal, and screw type, screw head width, gender, smoking status, alcohol, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, age, and body mass index were assessed using t-tests and Fisher's exact/χ2 tests for continuous and discrete variables, respectively. RESULTS: Headed screws were removed more frequently than headless screws (P < .0001): 15 of 30 (50%) feet that received headed screws and 4 of 44 (9%) of feet that received headless screws underwent subsequent revision for screw removal. In all cases, screws were removed because of pain. The calcaneal union rate was 100% in both cohorts. CONCLUSION: The rate of screw removal in calcaneal osteotomies is significantly lower in patients who receive headless screws than in those receiving headed screws. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Arthroscopic Treatment of Synovial Chondromatosis in the Ankle Joint.

Synovial chondromatosis of the ankle is rare and sparsely documented. Traditional surgical intervention is open loose body excision and synovectomy. Upon literature review, only two other cases were found to be managed arthroscopically. We report a case of synovial chondromatosis in a 54-year-old man leading to pain and limited range of motion of his ankle. This unique case of extensive nodule formation was treated via a three-port arthroscopic approach. Removal of loose bodies and synovectomy were successfully performed arthroscopically. A total of 76 loose bodies were removed and synovectomy performed using a 3.5 mm diameter full radius shaver. This case demonstrates that a three-port arthroscopic approach can provide adequate treatment while maintaining the superior risk profile inherent to arthroscopic intervention.