Surgical Management of Lower Extremity Pyoderma Gangrenosum With Viable Cryopreserved Umbilical Tissue: A Case Series.

INTRODUCTION: Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare skin disease that often presents as a uniquely painful and necrotic ulceration of the lower extremity. Pyoderma gangrenosum is often misdiagnosed and can have deleterious consequences to the patient, as there is no gold standard treatment and it can be difficult to manage. Surgery for these wounds is controversial, as pathergy can develop, worsening the ulceration. Advanced wound care products such as cellular- and/or tissue-based products (CTPs) are effective in helping stagnant chronic wounds reach full closure. Amnion/chorion-based skin substitutes that have been cryopreserved and contain viable cells have been shown to promote more cell recruitment and reduce inflammation. OBJECTIVE: This case series presents evidence of using a cryopreserved umbilical cord tissue with living cells in adjunctive treatment of wounds associated with PG. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This report presents 3 different clinical scenarios of lower extremity PG treated surgically with viable cryopreserved umbilical tissue (vCUT). RESULTS: All 3 patients were successfully treated with vCUT and resulted in complete healing. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first case series demonstrating the ability of vCUT to heal these difficult-to-treat ulcers. In addition, it may be an effective modality to adjunctive management of PG.

The Mau-Reverdin Osteotomy: A Short-Term Retrospective Analysis.

We reviewed 33 consecutive Mau-Reverdin osteotomies in 23 patients performed for correction of hallux abducto valgus from November 2010 to May 2013. All patients were followed up and evaluated for a mean of 401 days and median of 360 days after surgery. In each foot, the preoperative first intermetatarsal angle, hallux abductus angle, and proximal articular set angle were obtained. The mean correction of these angles was as follows: intermetatarsal angle 10.5° ± 3.31°, hallux abductus angle 24.4° ± 8.8°, and proximal articular set angle 28.39° ± 11.2°. Furthermore, we evaluated for metatarsus elevates, and no statistically significant first metatarsal elevation was present in any of the 33 feet (p < .0001). Additionally, 21 of the 33 feet (63.6%) were available for first metatarsophalangeal joint American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society scale score evaluation. The mean preoperative score was 25.5 ± 16.7. After correction, the mean American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society scale score had increased to 95.4 ± 5.7. All these differences were statistically significant (p < .0001), and the patients had a very high level of satisfaction. In all 33 feet, no deep infection, malunion, nonunion, avascular necrosis of the first metatarsal, or hardware failure developed. One patient developed hallux varus deformity. The Mau-Reverdin osteotomy is a very effective and reproducible procedure that successfully corrects large bunion deformities and provides patients with a high level of satisfaction and a low complication rate.

Systemic nickel allergy after internal fixation of a bunionectomy.

Allergic reactions to implanted metals have been estimated to occur in 1% to 5% of orthopedic cases. Stainless steel screws, which contain 14% nickel, are commonly used for internal fixation in an array of podiatric procedures. We present a rare case of a systemic allergic reaction to nickel secondary to stainless steel screw fixation in a bunionectomy procedure.

Schwannomas of the foot and ankle: a technical report.

The present technical report provides a detailed description of open surgical resection of peripheral nerve sheath tumors in the foot and ankle. We present 3 cases to illustrate important differences in the technique based on the presentation, anatomic location, and intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring findings. It is important for surgeons to understand that surgical excision of many peripheral nerve sheath tumors can be undertaken without en bloc resection of the entire nerve trunk.

Imaging of diabetic foot infections.

Complications from diabetic foot infections are a leading cause of nontraumatic lower-extremity amputations. Nearly 85% of these amputations result from an infected foot ulcer. Osteomyelitis is present in approximately 20% of diabetic foot infections. It is imperative that clinicians make quick and successful diagnoses of diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO) because a delay in treatment may lead to worsening outcomes. Imaging studies, such as plain films, bone scans, musculoskeletal ultrasound, computerized tomography scans, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography scans, aid in the diagnosis. However, there are several mimickers of DFO, which present problems to making a correct diagnosis.