Conservative Management of Charcot Neuroarthropathy.

Charcot can be a difficult clinical entity to diagnose in the acute phase, and clinicians should have a high clinical suspicion in neuropathic patients who present with erythema, edema, and warmth of the foot or ankle. Immobilization and nonweight-bearing should be immediately initiated when the diagnosis of Charcot has been made and patients should remain nonweight-bearing until the affected bones/joints have coalesced. Educating patients and managing expectations is crucial to improve compliance with the conservative treatment of Charcot and avoid the long-term sequelae including severe deformity, ulceration and infection, and amputation.

Combined Internal and External Fixation for Diabetic Charcot Reconstruction: A Retrospective Case Series.

Diabetic Charcot neuroarthropathy is a complex, limb-threatening disease process with major lifestyle-altering repercussions for patients. When Charcot neuroarthropathy leads to unstable deformity, ulceration, and potential infection despite conservative therapies, foot and ankle surgeons often consider reconstructive limb salvage procedures to restore function. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of diabetic Charcot reconstruction using combined internal and external fixation.

A biomechanical comparison of internal fixation techniques for ankle arthrodesis.

The purpose of the present study was to compare the primary bending stiffness characteristics of 5 different ankle arthrodesis fixation techniques: 3 compression screws, an anterior locking plate, a lateral locking plate, an anterior locking plate with a compression screw, and a lateral locking plate with a compression screw. A total of 25 full-scale anatomic models consisting of fourth-generation composite tibiae and tali were tested using an Instron 4505 Universal Testing System. We hypothesized that the use of a compression screw with a locking plate would add considerable stiffness to the fixation construct compared with the use of a locking plate alone.

Popliteal blocks for foot and ankle surgery: success rate and contributing factors.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the factors contributing to the success of popliteal nerve blocks performed by podiatric surgical residents in various stages of training. A retrospective review was conducted of 143 consecutively performed blocks during a 2-year period. A total of 29 blocks using a lateral approach and 114 blocks using a modified posterior approach were performed.

The kickstand technique for circular external fixator assembly.

External fixation has been shown to be an extremely versatile tool for surgical reconstruction of the lower extremity. Modern circular-ring fixators, based on original Ilizarov design, are widely used for their stiffness, utility, adjustability, and effectiveness. Because of the full-radius enclosure of the limb, however, it can be difficult to place the fixator on a supine patient.