Anterior tarsectomy long-term results in adult pes cavus.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Anterior tarsectomy for pes cavus in adults is designed to relieve pain and correct the deformity. The present study reports radiological and clinical results with anterior tarsectomy in 39 cases of pes cavus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study concerned 39 cavus feet in 33 patients (22 males, 11 females; mean age: 31 years, range 16-49 years). Clinical outcome was assessed in terms of pain, function and motion, using the AOFAS classification. Radiological assessment (anteroposterior and lateral stress X-ray, views with Méary superficial wire-marking) measured the Djian angle, talometatarsal alignment, talar slope, calcaneal slope, calcaneal valgus, and osteoarthritis stage in adjacent joints. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 9.8 years (range, 1-25). Mean AOFAS score at follow-up was 69.2/100 points (range, 14-100). Pain decreased considerably in 75% of cases, and 68% of patients recovered normal activity. The foot was aligned correctly in 67% of cases. At last follow-up, pes cavus remained undercorrected in 80% of feet, but mean Djian angle had improved from 100 degrees to 111.3 degrees. Calcaneal valgus improved from 30.8 degrees to 24.8 degrees and the podoscopic footprint was normal in 51% of feet. In 74% of feet, adjacent joints presented progressive osteoarthritic degeneration. Subjectively, 70% of patients were very satisfied or satisfied with minor reservations. Objective outcome was excellent or good in 66% of feet. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Outcome in terms of function, motion, complications and satisfaction was good, although pain relief results were poor. Anterior tarsectomy is able to correct initial pes cavus deformity and compensate anomalies of the hindfoot, but its correction capacity is limited, and its efficacy in case of clawfoot is poor. Anterior tarsectomy spares the adjacent Chopart complex and Lisfranc joints while inducing hypermobility, and leads to arthritis in 74% of cases. Better results are obtained in cases of reestablishment of the Méary-Tomeno line and of hindfoot valgus, as well as in cases of correction of equinus and clawfoot deformities. Worse results are observed in case of neurological evolutive disease or insufficient correction of the preceding deformities. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV. Therapeutic Study.

[Long-term results of midtarsal arthrodesis for flatfoot in adults]. / Résultats à long terme du traitement du pied plat valgus de l'adulte par arthrodèse médiotarsienne.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Arthrodesis proposed for the surgical treatment of reducible pes planovalgus (flatfoot) in adults is designed to relieve pain and correct the deformity. The purpose of this work was to present the radiological and clinical results obtained with midtarsal arthrodesis performed in 22 cases of pes planovalgus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study concerned 22 cases of reducible flatfoot (Johnson grade 2) in 19 patients (11 males, 8 females, mean age 43 years, age range 15-75 years). Clinical outcome was assessed in terms of pain, function and motion using the AOFAS and Mann classifications. Radiological assessment (loaded anteroposterior and lateral views with Méary cerclage) noted the Djian angle, talometatarsal alignment, talar slope, calcaneal slope, calcaneal valgus, and osteoarthritis stage in adjacent joints. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 7 years 4 months (range 6 months-20 years 3 months). Two nonunions resolved favorable after cancellous grafting. The Kitaoka score was 73.5/100 points (range 53-94). Pain and function improved from 2.8 to 1.1 points (/4 points) and from 3.45 to 1.6 points (/4) on the Mann scale. Flexion-extension remained unchanged. The foot was aligned correctly in 68% of cases. The mean talar slope and the talocalcaneal divergence were normal at last follow-up but there was a persistent undercorrection of the Djian angle in 68% of the feet and a break in the Méary line in 41%. Calcaneal valgus was reduced 6.6 degrees (16.6 to 10 degrees ) but the podoscope footprint was still the flatfoot type in 86% of the feet. For 50%, the neighboring joints presented progressive osteoarthritic degeneration. Subjectively the patients were very satisfied or satisfied with minor reservations for 73%. None of the patients was disappointed with the results. The objective outcome was excellent or good in 68% of the feet. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results in terms of pain relief, function, motion, complications, and rate of satisfaction were comparable with results presented in the literature. Midtarsal arthrodesis provides effective pain relief and satisfactory functional recovery without creating any morbidity greater than simple talonavicular fusion. Nevertheless, it was noted that while correct alignment is achieved in the majority of cases, the clinical and radiological restoration of plantar cavum is limited. Furthermore compensatory hypermobility of the adjacent joints leads to the development of moderate osteoarthritic remodeling which remains asymptomatic more than seven years after the operation.

[Hydroxyapatite-coated Esop modular femoral stem: three to ten year outcome in 155 cases]. / La prothèse fémorale Esop revêtue d'hydroxyapatite à modularité métaphysodiaphysaire: résultats à 5 ans de recul moyen d'une cohorte de 155 implants.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Primary and secondary stability of the Esop prosthesis depends exclusively on cementless metaphyseal anchoring. This modular implant is composed of an hydroxyapatite-coated metaphysis on which a diaphyseal piece is added intraoperoperatively simply to act as a centering device. The purpose of this retrospective analysis of a consecutive series was to assess primary and secondary stability of the Esop implant by measuring axial migration over time. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1995 and 2001, 172 primary total hip arthroplasties (THAs) were performed with the Esop femoral implant and the Atlas III acetabular implant. Six patients lost to follow-up and eleven patients who died were excluded from the analysis. The review thus concerned 155 THA in 128 patients (66 women and 32 men), mean age 57 years (age range 28-77 years), 53% with an occupational activity at the time of surgery. Degenerative hip disease and aseptic osteonecrosis were present in 87% of patients. Imagika, a dedicated software, was used to measure axial migration and overall offset of the THA at four distinct times: on the immediate pre- and postoperative films, after introduction of weight-bearing, and at last follow-up (mean 61 months, range 35-114 months). Survival and clinical and radiographic outcome were also assessed with the Postel-Merle-d'Aubigné (PMA) score. RESULTS: THA survival was 98%, all causes of failure included. The PMA score showed 97% excellent, very good or good outcome. Axial migration greater than 5 mm was demonstrated in ten hips (6.4%). Among these ten, seven exhibited migration during the first month than did not move further up to last follow-up. Comparison between the pre- and postoperative images revealed a 10 mm reduction in offset in 38% of hips, showing that the hip rotation center was medialized. DISCUSSION: Migration observed in ten implants corresponded to restablization at weight-bearing in seven. There was no correlation with the clinical outcome or poor radiological osteointegration. CONCLUSION: Primary and secondary stabilization of the Esop implant is satisfactory. In this series, the rotation center of the hip was globally medialized so that it would be useful to have available lateralized implants.

[Low incidence of hip fractures among the elderly in Guadeloupe: a spared Caribbean island population]. / Faible incidence des fractures de l'extrémité supérieure du fémur chez les patients de plus de 60 ans dans les îles de Guadeloupe.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of hip fractures among the elderly population in Guadeloupe, a French Caribbean archipelago with 440,000 inhabitants who present two rarely associated characteristics: 90% of the population is of African descent and life expectancy is similar to that of European populations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using the recent census report, we established that in 2002, 61,000 persons aged 60 years or more (27,000 men and 34,000 women) lived in Guadeloupe. All new cases of hip fracture among the population aged 60 years or more were recorded in 2002, 2003, and 2004 in the seven islands that compose Guadeloupe. For each case, we noted patient age and gender, type of hip fracture, and treatment administered. We excluded open and pathologic fractures. Overall and age-specific incidence of hip fractures were determined and compared with rates reported for other countries. RESULTS: Three hundred and two new cases of hip fracture were recorded from 2002 to 2005 in 211 women (70%) and 91 men (30%). The age of patients was 82 years on average (range 60-102). There were 134 neck fractures and 168 intertrochanteric fractures which were treated by osteosynthesis for 193 and arthroplasty for 108. Only one orthopedic treatment was noted. The incidence of hip fracture for people aged over 60 years was 16.9/10,000; for the population aged 65 years or more, it was 22.2/10,000. DISCUSSION: Osteoporotic fracture is a pandemic problem. Incidence is increasing worldwide. Our findings demonstrate that Guadeloupeans are spared from this pathology. This population offers an interesting field for research into the causal mechanisms of osteoporotic fractures and potential means of prevention or screening. CONCLUSION: The incidence of hip fractures among the elderly population in Guadeloupe is the lowest recorded in the world. We suggest that an environmental and genetic study in this spared population could provide interesting insight into the cause of hip fractures and appropriate means of prevention and screening among the elderly. The geographic and environmental characteristics of Guadeloupe make this area a unique zone of research and should enable new insight into the genetic and environmental factors involved in hip fractures.

[Progressive correction of an ulnar clubhand secondary to post-traumatic epiphysiodesis of the distal ulna]. / Correction progressive d'une main bote ulnaire après épiphysiodèse ulnaire distale post-traumatique.

The authors report the correction of an ulnar club-hand in a 16 year-old boy who complained of recurrent wrist pain after a fracture of both bones of his left forearm treated by internal fixation at the age of nine years. Correction was achieved by progressive ulnar lengthening, using Ilizarov's method, without radius osteotomy or bone grafting. Union was achieved 2 months post-operatively. Functional outcome and cosmetic appearance were satisfying.