Open Ankle Arthrodesis.

First described in 1879, ankle arthrodesis is a procedure that has undergone significant advancements not only in technique but also in technology and fixation. Surgeon preference has often dictated those changes with regard to incisional approaches, fixation methods, and use of bone graft and biologics but one constant has always remained: open ankle arthrodesis is a predictable, time-tested procedure with consistent results when performed in appropriate patients. This article highlights the changes that have occurred since the introduction of this procedure and provides a brief overview of the preferred technique.

The flexible adult flatfoot: anatomy and pathomechanics.

Adult acquired flatfoot deformity is generally associated with a collapsing medial longitudinal arch and progressive loss of strength of the tibialis posterior tendon. It is most commonly associated with posterior tibial tendon dysfunction that can have an arthritic or traumatic cause. With an increasing population of obese patients, the often misdiagnosed and overlooked posterior tibial tendon dysfunction will only continue to present more often in the foot and ankle specialist's office. This article focuses on the anatomy, classification, and pathomechanics of the flexible adult flatfoot.

Flexible adult flatfoot: soft tissue procedures.

Classically, adult posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD) was considered primarily a tendon rupture and was treated as such with soft tissue repair alone. The understanding that PTTD involves more than simply an inflammatory condition or tendon rupture but also a muscle imbalance, leading to a flatfoot, osteoarthritis, and peritalar subluxation, led to surgeons advocating osseous procedures as well. The advancements in knowledge of the pathomechanics of the deformity have modified the role that soft tissue repair plays in surgical treatment, but the importance of soft tissue restoration in flatfoot repair should not be overlooked.

An intraosseous lipoma of the calcaneus: a case report.

Intraosseous lipomas are one of the rarest bone tumors found in the body. The incidence has been reported to be <0.1% of all primary bone tumors. The differential diagnoses of an intraosseous lipoma in the calcaneus include plantar fasciitis, retrocalcaneal bursitis, gout, stress fracture, unicameral bone cyst, aneurysmal bone cyst, osteoblastoma, enchondroma, chondromyxoid fibroma, nonossifying fibroma, giant cell tumor, chondroblastoma, fibrous dysplasia, and chondrosarcoma. It has been reported that 60% to 70% of patients with an intraosseous lipoma present with symptoms. This article describes a case of a pathologic fracture secondary to a large intraosseous lipoma, the surgical treatments, and the subsequent resolution of symptoms. The purpose of our report was 3-fold: (1) to increase awareness of intraosseous lipomas and their potential to cause pathologic fractures in the calcaneus; (2) to suggest a possible treatment protocol for intraosseous lipomas in the calcaneus; and (3) to describe a rare case of an intraosseous lipoma of the calcaneus not located exclusively in the neutral triangle.

Cadaveric limb analysis of tendon length discrepancy of posterior tibial tendon transfer through the interosseous membrane.

The posterior tibial tendon transfer through the interosseous membrane, as popularized by Watkins in 1954, is a procedure for treating reducible eversion and dorsiflexory paresis used by lower extremity foot and ankle surgeons. The posterior tibial tendon has been transferred to various locations on the midfoot for equinus and equinovarus deformities. Dorsiflexory paresis is a common symptom in equinovarus deformity, clubfoot deformity, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, leprosy, mononeuropathy, trauma to the common peroneal nerve, cerebrovascular accident, and Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. The main difficulty with this procedure, often discussed by surgeons, is inadequate tendon length, making anchoring to the cuneiforms or cuboid difficult. The goal of our cadaveric study was threefold. First, we sought to determine whether the tendon length is sufficient when transferring the posterior tibial tendon to the dorsum of the foot through the interosseous membrane for a dynamic or a static transfer. Second, we wished to describe the surgical technique designed to obtain the maximal length. Finally, we sought to discuss the strategies used when the tendon length for transfer is insufficient.

Mechanical comparison of fixation techniques for the offset V osteotomy: a saw bone study.

Four different techniques for the fixation of an offset V bunionectomy were tested on solid-foam saw-bone models for the purpose of determining the strongest form of fixation for the osteotomy. Twenty identical models were placed into 4 different groups. Groups varied as to the placement and caliber of fixation. Models were loaded with a servo-hydraulic testing machine until failure of fixation occurred. Video analysis was used to record the pattern of failure of the fixation. Failure occurred either distal to the first screw, through the first screw hole, between the 2 screws, through the second screw hole, or proximal to the second screw. The mean force to failure of the groups was group 1, 58.1 N; group 2, 59.3 N; group 3, 64.0 N; and group 4, 105.66 N. There was a statistical significant difference between group 4 and the other 3 groups (F(1) = 55.45, P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference between groups 1 to 3. In groups 1 to 3, 87% of the failures were through the distal screw hole, whereas the remaining 13% were through the proximal screw hole. In group 4, 60% of the failures were through the proximal screw hole and 40% were through the distal screw hole. It was concluded that, in this model, the strongest form of fixation for an offset V osteotomy was the 2.7-mm cortical screw placed distally with the proximal point of fixation being a threaded 0.062-inch Kirschner wire.