Management of High-Risk Ankle Fractures.

Successful outcomes in the surgical treatment of the fractured ankle require methods that respect the soft tissue envelope and establish a stable mortise for functional rehabilitation. Ankle fractures in patients with osteopenia and in diabetic patients with deranged bone remodeling constitute high-risk injuries that may result in catastrophic complications. These patients present unique care challenges and should not be approached in the same manner as their healthy counterparts.

Navigating the Challenges of Total Ankle Replacement: Deformity Correction and Infection Considerations.

In recent years, total ankle replacement (TAR) has gained widespread acceptance as a surgical treatment for end-stage ankle arthritis. This shift is due to notable improvements in implant design, surgical instrumentation, technique, and surgeon expertise, resulting in high levels of patient satisfaction comparable to ankle fusion. Additionally, indications for TAR have expanded to include advanced deformities that were previously considered unsuitable for the procedure, making ankle arthrodesis the only option.

Addressing Transverse Plane Instability in the Modified Lapidus Arthrodesis: A Comparative Study of Screw Versus Suture and Button Fixation Device Technique.

The Lapidus arthrodesis is a powerful procedure for the correction of hallux valgus with metatarsus primus varus. Yet, first ray instability may persist despite correction of the primary deformity with 2 crossed screw fixation. A third screw is often utilized as the additional point of fixation for noteworthy residual transverse plane motion, but it is not without potential complications.

Early Protected Weightbearing After Open Reduction Internal Fixation of Ankle Fractures With Trans-syndesmotic Screws.

Traditional postoperative care after open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of unstable ankle fractures with syndesmotic instability includes non-weightbearing for 6 to 8 weeks. However, prolonged non-weightbearing may be detrimental. The goal of this case series was to assess the outcomes of early protected weightbearing after operative treatment of acute ankle fractures with syndesmotic instability requiring screw stabilization.

Modified lapidus arthrodesis with crossed screw fixation: early weightbearing in 136 patients.

Modified Lapidus arthrodesis is a versatile and powerful procedure for correcting the hallux valgus deformity typically associated with significant metatarsus primus varus or increased first ray mobility. Traditionally, patients have remained non-weightbearing until the arthrodesis has consolidated. More recently, numerous studies have evaluated the outcomes of early postoperative weightbearing using a variety of fixation constructs.

Fixation orientation in ankle fractures with syndesmosis injury.

Accurate reduction of the syndesmosis has been shown to be an important prognostic factor for functional outcome in ankle injuries that disrupt the syndesmosis. The purpose of the present case series was to assess the fixation orientation and the position of the fibula within the tibial incisura after open reduction and internal fixation of ankle fractures with syndesmosis injury. Computed tomography was used to assess the accuracy of the reduction.

Early protected weightbearing after open reduction internal fixation of ankle fractures.

The present retrospective study assessed the complications and loss of reduction in 126 patients aged 16 years or older who bore weight in a short leg cast within 15 days after surgical repair of acute unilateral closed ankle fractures from January 1997 to December 2003. Fracture reduction was assessed on immediate postoperative and weightbearing digital radiographs at least 6 weeks after surgery. The medical records were reviewed for postoperative complications.

Bicortical fixation of medial malleolar fractures: a review of 23 cases at risk for complicated bone healing.

Several methods have been described for fixation of unstable medial malleolar fractures. Certain patient populations, including the elderly, those with osteoporosis and osteopenia, and patients with diabetes mellitus, are generally known to be susceptible to complications associated with ankle fracture healing. The goal of the present retrospective investigation was to review the outcomes of a series of patients who had undergone medial malleolar fracture repair using fully threaded bicortical interfragmental compression screw fixation.

Inverted Z-scarf osteotomy for hallux valgus deformity correction: intermediate-term results in 55 patients.

The Z-scarf osteotomy is used for hallux valgus deformity correction by foot and ankle surgeons worldwide. Inverting the Z-scarf osteotomy configuration strengthens the construct in both sawbone and cadaver models, but clinical results of this configuration have not been reported in the literature. This retrospective study evaluates the subjective and intermediate-term postoperative radiographic results of 73 inverted Z-scarf osteotomy procedures for hallux valgus correction in 55 patients from January 1994 to December 2003.

Chevron arthrodesis of the interphalangeal joint for hammertoe correction.

Interphalangeal joint arthrodesis is a common procedure to correct fixed or semifixed lesser toe contracture. The authors present a simple modification to end-to-end interphalangeal joint arthrodesis that increases surface area and enhances construct stability. The technique is most commonly used for the proximal interphalangeal joint and may be combined with any number of fixation techniques.

Clear cell hidradenoma of the ankle.

Clear cell hidradenoma is a relatively common, benign eccrine neoplasm with rare presentations in the foot and ankle. Variable clinical and histopathologic characteristics of the tumor warrant careful consideration over primary and recurrent malignancy, particularly eccrine carcinoma. The first known case of primary benign clear cell hidradenoma of the ankle is presented with imaging studies, surgical management, and clinicopathologic correlation, distinguishing the neoplasm from its malignant counterparts.

Arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis: factors influencing union in 39 consecutive patients.

Background: Arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis is an effective alternative to open techniques with established advantages in select patient populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate patients who had arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis for end-stage arthritis with minimal to no deformity of the ankle and to report factors influencing union.

Methods: Thirty-nine consecutive patients had arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis between 1994 and 2003.

Deltoid ligament integrity in lateral malleolar fractures: a comparative analysis of arthroscopic and radiographic assessments.

Foot and ankle surgeons often rely on the medial clear space to evaluate competency of the deep deltoid ligament when evaluating ankle fractures. This investigation assesses the integrity of the deep deltoid ligament after lateral malleolar fracture by using direct arthroscopic visualization and medial clear-space separation on plain film radiographs. The objectives of this study were to test the reliability of medial clear-space separation and the Lauge-Hansen classification scheme in predicting deep deltoid rupture in displaced lateral malleolar fractures.