Outcomes After Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy for Chronic Noninsertional Achilles Tendinopathy Compared With Chronic Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy: A Retrospective Review.

Background: Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a noninvasive treatment modality that is used in the treatment of chronic Achilles tendinopathy (AT).

Purposes: To (1) retrospectively assess outcomes after ESWT for both noninsertional AT (NAT) and insertional AT (IAT) at >1-year follow-up and (2) identify potential predictors of outcomes.

Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Effect of patient age on fifth metatarsal fracture pattern, management, and outcomes.

Patients with 5th metatarsal (MT) fractures encompass a broad age distribution. This study evaluated the impact of age on the differences in clinical outcomes and management of these fractures. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients presenting to a single large, urban, academic hospital system with a 5th MT fracture over a 10-year period.

Artificial Intelligence Language Models Are Useful Tools for Patients Undergoing Total Ankle Replacement.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) large language models (LLMs), such as Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT), have gained traction as both augmentative tools in patient care but also as powerful synthesizing machines. The use of ChatGPT in orthopaedic foot and ankle surgery, particularly as an informative resource for patients, has not been described to date. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of information provided by ChatGPT in response to commonly asked questions about total ankle replacement (TAR).

Clinical and Radiographic Healing of Nonoperative and Operative Treatment of Jones Fractures.

Background: Significant heterogeneity in the classification and treatment of zone 3 proximal fifth metatarsal base fractures ("true Jones fractures") exists. This study compared time to clinical and radiographic healing between patients treated operatively and nonoperatively. We hypothesized that patients treated nonoperatively may demonstrate a greater time to clinical healing.

Tranexamic acid reduces perioperative blood loss and postoperative hemoglobin loss during total ankle arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical comparative studies.

Importance: Peri-operative blood loss during joint replacement procedures is a modifiable risk factor that impacts wound complications, hospital stay and total costs. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an anti-fibrinolytic that has been widely used in orthopedic surgery, but its efficacy in the setting of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) has not been quantified to date.

Aim: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of administering TXA in patients undergoing TAA.

Do Patients With Insulin-Dependent and Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Have Different Risks for Complications After Total Ankle Arthroplasty?

Background: Patients with diabetes undergoing total ankle arthroplasty tend to be at greater risk for complications than those without diabetes. However, the effect of diabetes severity and how it impacts the risk for perioperative complications is less clear. The purpose of this study was to compare (1) complications, (2) length of hospital stay, and (3) readmissions within 30 days for total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) patients without diabetes, patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes, and patients with insulin-dependent diabetes.

The significance of heterotopic ossification following total ankle arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the prevalence and clinical significance of heterotopic ossification (HO) following total ankle replacement (TAR).

Methods: During August 2023, the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library databases were systematically reviewed to identify clinical studies reporting HO following TAR. Data regarding surgical characteristics, pathological characteristics, subjective clinical outcomes, ankle range of motion, radiographic outcomes, reoperation rates were extracted and analysed.

Surgical management of spiral oblique fractures of the fifth metatarsal leads to faster return to play in athletes: A systematic review.

Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate outcomes following both operative and nonoperative management of spiral oblique fractures of the fifth metatarsal.

Methods: During November 2023, the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library databases were systematically reviewed to identify clinical studies examining outcomes following operative and nonoperative management of dancer's fractures. Data regarding subjective clinical outcomes, radiological outcomes, complications and failure rates were extracted and analysed.

From jargon to clarity: Improving the readability of foot and ankle radiology reports with an artificial intelligence large language model.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an Artificial Intelligence Large Language Model (AI-LLM) at improving the readability foot and ankle orthopedic radiology reports.

Methods: The radiology reports from 100 foot or ankle X-Rays, 100 computed tomography (CT) scans and 100 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were randomly sampled from the institution's database. The following prompt command was inserted into the AI-LLM: "Explain this radiology report to a patient in layman's terms in the second person: [Report Text]".

Zone 2 Fifth Metatarsal Fractures Treated Nonoperatively Have Similar Time to Healing to Those Treated Operatively.

Objectives: To quantify the rate of union and time to clinical and radiographic healing in Zone 2 proximal fifth metatarsal (MT) fractures and compare these outcomes between Zone 2 fractures treated operatively and nonoperatively.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Academic Level I Trauma Center.

Implications of obesity in patients with foot and ankle pathology.

Obesity is a growing problem defined as a body mass index of greater than 30 kg/m. It is predicted that by 2030, 48.9% of adults will be classified as obese which expands surgical risk factors to a broad population while increasing healthcare costs at the same time in different socioeconomic groups.

Validation of the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) for Osteochondral Lesions of the Ankle.

Background: The purpose of this study was to validate the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) for osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs). We hypothesize that the FAOS will meet all 4 psychometric criteria for validity in this patient population.

Methods: From 2008 to 2014, a total of 208 patients with OLTs were included in the construct validity portion of the study.

Advances in Cartilage Repair.

Osteochondral lesions of the ankle joint are typically associated with a traumatic etiology and present with ankle pain and swelling. Conservative management yields unsatisfactory results because of the poor healing capacity of the articular cartilage. Smaller lesions (<100 mm or <10 mm) can be treated with less invasive procedures such as arthroscopic debridement, anterograde drilling, scaffold-based therapies, and augmentation with biological adjuvants.

Intra-Tendinous Ganglion Cyst of the Peroneus Tertius: A Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND This article presents a rare case of an intra-tendinous ganglion cyst of the peroneus tertius. Ganglion cysts are benign lesions frequently seen in hand pathologies, but they are rarely seen in the foot and ankle. This article discusses the present case and similar previously reported cases in the English literature.

Supramalleolar osteotomy for the treatment of ankle osteoarthritis leads to favourable outcomes and low complication rates at mid-term follow-up: a systematic review.

Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate both the clinical and radiographic outcomes following supramalleolar osteotomy (SMO) in patients with ankle osteoarthritis, and to analyse the level of evidence (LOE) and quality of evidence (QOE) of the included studies.

Methods: A systematic review of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Studies reporting clinical data following SMO for the treatment of ankle osteoarthritis were included and assessed.

Clinical Outcomes After Suture Tape Augmentation for Ankle Instability: A Systematic Review.

Background: There is minimal literature on the use of suture tape augmentation in the treatment of chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI), prompting an investigation on its use and effect during surgery of the lateral ankle.

Purpose: To evaluate the evidence for the use of suture tape augmentation in the treatment of CLAI and the outcomes after this procedure.

Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Novel Vacuum-Assisted Method for Harvesting Autologous Cancellous Bone Graft and Bone Marrow From the Proximal Tibial Metaphysis.

Background: Autogenous cancellous bone graft and bone marrow aspirate are commonly used in lower extremity fusion procedures to enhance fusion potential, and frequently in revision situations where bone loss and osteolysis may be a feature. The tibial metaphysis is a common donor site for bone graft, with the procedure typically performed using a curette or trephine to harvest the cancellous bone. Some limitations of this technique include suboptimal harvest of the marrow portion in particular, incomplete graft harvest, and loss of graft material during the harvest process.

Paul W. Lapidus: The Father of Foot and Ankle Surgery.

Paul W. Lapidus' work has formed the foundation of modern foot and ankle surgery. Variations of his popularizedtechnique, the Lapidus procedure, remain in regular usetoday for the management and correction of hallux valgus.

Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeon Industry Compensation Reported by the Open Payments Database.

. The current study aims to characterize and explore trends in Open Payments Database (OPD) payments reported to orthopaedic foot and ankle (F&A) surgeons. OPD payments are classified as General, Ownership, or Research.

Survey of Patient Insurance Status on Access to Specialty Foot and Ankle Care Under the Affordable Care Act.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of insurance type (Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance) on access to foot and ankle surgeons for total ankle arthroplasty.

Methods: We called 240 foot and ankle surgeons who performed total ankle arthroplasty in 8 representative states (California, Massachusetts, Ohio, New York, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina). The caller requested an appointment for a fictitious patient to be evaluated for a total ankle arthroplasty.