Arthroscopic debridement and microfracture for bilateral osteochondral lesions on the lateral process of the talus involving the subtalar joint: A case report.

RATIONALE: Osteochondral lesions on the lateral process of the talus involving the subtalar joint are rare; the optimal surgical treatment remains to be clarified as there are few reports. Additionally, bilateral cases are extremely rare. Therefore, the clinical outcomes of the surgical treatment for bilateral osteochondral lesions on the lateral process of the talus involving the subtalar joint have not been fully elucidated. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 16-year-old boy who played soccer presented to our hospital with bilateral hindfoot pain. The symptoms persisted even after 3 months of conservative treatment. The patient and family requested surgical treatment to relieve the symptoms. DIAGNOSES: The patient was diagnosed with bilateral osteochondral lesions on the lateral process of the talus, involving the subtalar joint based on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings. INTERVENTIONS: Arthroscopic debridement and microfracture were performed bilaterally. OUTCOMES: Postoperative computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of both feet revealed remodeling of the subchondral bone. The patient returned to play at the pre-injury level with no pain. LESSONS: This report describes a case of bilateral osteochondral lesions on the lateral process of the talus, involving the subtalar joint. Arthroscopic debridement and microfracture were effective in relieving symptoms and the subchondral bone remodeling. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of arthroscopic treatment of osteochondral lesions of the lateral process of the talus involving the subtalar joint.

Rearfoot and Ankle Dislocations.

Subtalar dislocations, ankle dislocations, and total talar dislocations are high-energy injuries. As such, there may be associated osseous or soft tissue injuries that can be diagnosed with advanced imaging such as computed tomography (CT) or MRI. With closed injuries, closed reduction may require sedation or general anesthesia, flexion of the knee to release the tension of the gastrocnemius-soleus complex, distraction is applied, the deformity is accentuated, then the deformity is corrected. Open injuries are usually associated with a higher level of energy and a higher rate of infection. It is important to thoroughly irrigate and debride open dislocations both before and after reduction.

Subtalar Osteochondral Lesions: Diagnosis, Indications, and Prognosis.

Although most commonly found in the knee, elbow, and talar dome, osteochondral lesions can also be found in the subtalar joint and can occur due to either high or low energy trauma. Diagnosis of these lesions in the subtalar joint is typically confirmed with advanced imaging such as computerized tomography and MRI. Although there are a few published case reports, there is otherwise very limited literature on the prevalence, treatment options, prognosis, or outcomes for patients with osteochondral lesions of the subtalar joint, and thus further research is required in this area.

Eficacia y seguridad del sistema de clavo intramedular retrógrado para artrodesis en pacientes adultos con fracturas complejas y/o deformidades de la articulación tibia-astrágalo-calcáneo / Efficacy and safety of the retrograde intramedullary nail system for arthrodesis in adult patients with complex fractures and/or deformities of the tibia-talar-calcaneus joint

ANTECEDENTES En el marco de la metodología ad hoc para evaluar solicitudes de tecnologías sanitarias, aprobada mediante Resolución del Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación N° 111-IETSI-ESSALUD-2021, se ha elaborado el presente dictamen preliminar sobre la evaluación de la eficacia y seguridad del sistema de clavo intramedular retrógrado (CIR) para artrodesis en pacientes adultos con fracturas complejas y/o deformidades de la articulación tibia-astrágalo-calcáneo. Mediante la Nota N° 2761-GRPA-ESSALUD-2020, los médicos especialistas del Servicio II de Ortopedia del Hospital Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen (HNGAI), a través de la gerencia de su red prestacional, solicitan al Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación (IETSI) la evaluación para incorporación del dispositivo "sistema de clavo intramedular retrógrado para artrodesis tibia-astrágalo-calcáneo". ASPECTOS GENERALES: Las patologías del tobillo' y retropié2, por lo general, pueden ser ocasionadas debido a traumatismo agudo o como secuela de alguna condición crónica (ógüt and Yontar 2017). Las fracturas y deformidades son dos de las condiciones patológicas que pueden ser identificadas con mayor frecuencia a este nivel. Se estima que aproximadamente un 70 % de las fracturas son unimaleolares3, 20 % bimaleolares4y un 10 % trimaleolares5 (Court-Brown, McBirnie, and Wilson 1998). Además, se reporta una tasa similar de fracturas según sexo; sin embargo, esto puede variar según diferentes grupos de edad (Daly et al. 1987). Por su parte, se reporta que algunas deformidades de tobillo, como la osteoartritis, están presentes en aproximadamente 13 millones de adultos mayores de 60 años en los Estados Unidos (Thomas et al. 2017). A nivel local, según información proporcionada por los especialistas del Servicio II de Ortopedia del HNGAI en los anexos de la solicitud, se presentan anualmente alrededor de 36 casos nuevos de pacientes que presentan fracturas complejas que involucran la tibia distal, el astrágalo y el calcáneo. METODOLOGÍA: Se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica exhaustiva con el objetivo de identificar la mejor evidencia disponible sobre la eficacia y seguridad de la artrodesis con el sistema de CIR, en comparación con la artrodesis utilizando tornillos o fijación externa, en pacientes con fracturas complejas y/o deformidades de la articulación tibia-astrágalo-calcáneo. La búsqueda bibliográfica8se realizó en las bases de datos de PubMed, The Cochrane Library y LILACS. Asimismo, se realizó una búsqueda manual en Google y dentro de las páginas web pertenecientes a grupos que realizan guías de práctica clínica (GPC) y evaluaciones de tecnologías sanitarias (ETS), incluyendo, el Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación (IETSI), Centro Nacional de Excelencia Tecnológica en Salud (CENETEC), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), The Guidelines International Network (GIN), National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Base Regional de Informes de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud de las Américas (BRISA), Comissáo Nacional de IncorporaQáo de Tecnologias no Sistema Único de Saúde (CONITEC), Instituto de Evaluación Tecnológica en Salud (IETS), Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria (IECS), Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), Instituto de Calidad y Eficiencia en la Atención de la Salud (IQWiG, por sus siglas en alemán), y Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS). RESULTADOS: Luego de la búsqueda bibliográfica con fecha 15 de febrero de 2022, se incluyeron para evaluación dos GPC orientadas al manejo de pacientes con fracturas del pie y tobillo: CENETEC e IMSS (Centro Nacional de Excelencia Tecnológica en Salud 2011, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social 2010); no se identificaron GPC orientadas al manejo de deformidades de la articulación tibia-astrágalo-calcáneo, o deformidades que involucran al pie, retropié y/o tobillo. Además, se incluyó un ECA (Georgiannos, Lampridis, and Bisbinas 2017) que evaluó la eficacia y seguridad del procedimiento de artrodesis con CIR, en comparación con las artrodesis con tornillos en pacientes con fracturas de tobillo. Asimismo, se incluyó el protocolo de un ECA (ACTRN12617001588381), el cual aún no cuenta con publicación de resultados, y tiene fecha aproximada de finalización en diciembre de 2022 (Tuckett et al. 2019). No se identificaron estudios que evalúen comparativamente al dispositivo CIR, y a la fijación externa en este tipo de 4,1;"147 procedimientos. CONCLUSIÓN: Por lo expuesto, el IETSI no aprueba el uso de clavo intramedular retrógrado para artrodesis en pacientes adultos con fracturas complejas y/o deformidades de la articulación tibia-astrágalo-calcáneo. El equipo evaluador del IETSI, está a la espera de nueva evidencia proveniente de ECA sobre la eficacia y seguridad de la tecnología solicitada. Por otro lado, se recomienda a los especialistas que, de tener conocimiento sobre otras tecnologías sanitarias que puedan representar un beneficio adicional a las tecnologías de uso actual en EsSalud para procedimientos de artrodesis en la población de interés, hagan envío de sus solicitudes para ser valoradas en nuevos documentos de ETS.

Chronic, Neglected Medial Subtalar Dislocation with Associated Talar and Calcaneal Fractures. A Case Report.

Subtalar dislocation is a very rare injury that accounts for just approximately 1% of traumatic dislocations. Stan-dard treatment in acute subtalar dislocations is immediate closed reduction and cast immobilization. Early reduction is of key importance and allows avoiding further damage to soft tissues, nerves and blood vessels. Neglected, chronic subtalar dislocations are seen extremely rarely and only a few cases have been reported in the literature to date. Considering the lack of guidelines and very few literature reports relating to the treatment of such injuries, we have decided to present the case of a male patient with a chronic, neglected, closed medial subtalar dislocation of the right foot with associated fractures of the talar and calcaneal bones. The patient was admitted 4 months post trauma to his right ankle joint caused by a fall from a ladder. An open subtalar reduction was performed with arthrodesis of the talocalcaneal joint and the talonavicular joint of the right foot. The treatment was effective and recreated the me-chanical axis of the limb. One year after the surgery, the patient reported no pain and no limitations in everyday functioning, work and activities. At the one-year follow-up, his AOFAS score was 88/100.

Neural interfacing architecture enables enhanced motor control and residual limb functionality postamputation.

Despite advancements in prosthetic technologies, patients with amputation today suffer great diminution in mobility and quality of life. We have developed a modified below-knee amputation (BKA) procedure that incorporates agonist-antagonist myoneural interfaces (AMIs), which surgically preserve and couple agonist-antagonist muscle pairs for the subtalar and ankle joints. AMIs are designed to restore physiological neuromuscular dynamics, enable bidirectional neural signaling, and offer greater neuroprosthetic controllability compared to traditional amputation techniques. In this prospective, nonrandomized, unmasked study design, 15 subjects with AMI below-knee amputation (AB) were matched with 7 subjects who underwent a traditional below-knee amputation (TB). AB subjects demonstrated significantly greater control of their residual limb musculature, production of more differentiable efferent control signals, and greater precision of movement compared to TB subjects (P < 0.008). This may be due to the presence of greater proprioceptive inputs facilitated by the significantly higher fascicle strains resulting from coordinated muscle excursion in AB subjects (P < 0.05). AB subjects reported significantly greater phantom range of motion postamputation (AB: 12.47 ± 2.41, TB: 10.14 ± 1.45 degrees) when compared to TB subjects (P < 0.05). Furthermore, AB subjects also reported less pain (12.25 ± 5.37) than TB subjects (17.29 ± 10.22) and a significant reduction when compared to their preoperative baseline (P < 0.05). Compared with traditional amputation, the construction of AMIs during amputation confers the benefits of enhanced physiological neuromuscular dynamics, proprioception, and phantom limb perception. Subjects' activation of the AMIs produces more differentiable electromyography (EMG) for myoelectric prosthesis control and demonstrates more positive clinical outcomes.

Secondary Effects of the Rupture and Reconstruction of the Interosseous Talocalcaneal Ligament on the Peritalar Joints.

BACKGROUND The interosseous talocalcaneal ligament (ITCL) is the main soft-tissue contributor to subtalar joint stability. The role of ITCL reconstruction in retaining this stability is minimally reported. Therefore, we conducted this study to investigate the effects of rupture and reconstruction of the ITCL on the subtalar and peritalar joints. MATERIAL AND METHODS This experimental study randomly divided 72 rabbits into 3 equal groups of 24 rabbits each. Group I underwent reconstruction surgery, group II underwent resection, and group III was the control group. The cartilages between the talocrural and calcaneocrural joints, and between the subtalar and talonavicular joints on both sides were assessed by gross observation, ink staining, histology, and immunohistochemistry at weeks 4, 8, 16, and 32, postoperatively. RESULTS In group II, the quantitative ink staining analysis revealed degeneration of the articular cartilages on the talonavicular joint (T=2.070, P=0.038) and the posterior subtalar joint (T=2.121, P=0.034) compared with the 2 sides of the same rabbit at 4 and 8 postoperative weeks. Comparing the operated sides of all the groups showed the posterior subtalar joints (Hc=9.563, P=0.008) and talonavicular joints (Hc=9.714, P=0.008) had an obvious difference at postoperative week 4; and in the calcaneocrural joints (Hc=6.750, P=0.034), it was noticed at postoperative week 8. Histology and immunohistochemistry findings confirm these observations. CONCLUSIONS An ITCL resection can lead to the progressive degeneration of the talonavicular and posterior subtalar joints, while an ITCL reconstruction can be beneficial in restoring the stability of these joints, preventing or postponing their degeneration, and protecting the articular cartilages.

Treatment of closed subtalar joint dislocation: A case report and literature review.

Subtalar dislocation is defined as a separation of the talocalcaneal and talonavicular articulations, commonly caused by high-energy mechanisms, which include falls from height, motor vehicle crashes, and twisting leg injuries. The dislocations are divided into medial, lateral, anterior, and posterior types on the basis of the direction in which the distal part of the foot has shifted in relation to the talus. The most common type is medial dislocation resulted from inversion injury. Subtalar dislocation may accompany with other fractures. Physical examination must be performed carefully to assess for neurovascular compromise. Most of the subtalar dislocations can be treated with closed reduction under sedation. If this is not possible, open reduction without further delay should be conducted. After primary treatment, X-ray and computed tomography scan should be performed to evaluate the alignment and the fractures. We report a 37-year-old male patient sustained a subtalar dislocation without any bony injury when he was playing football. The patient was successfully treated by closed reduction, and a good alignment was observed at the last follow-up. The pathogenesis and treatment method of this case were analyzed, and the related literature were reviewed, which provided a reference for future clinical treatment.

Correlation of 3D Joint Space Width From Weightbearing CT With Outcomes After Intra-articular Calcaneal Fracture.

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) of the subtalar joint is a serious, disabling, and frequent complication following intra-articular calcaneal fractures (IACFs). Using plain radiographs to assess the subtalar joint for PTOA is imprecise and insensitive, hindering progress toward improving treatment and assessing outcomes. This study explored how low-dose weightbearing computed tomography (WBCT) can be used to provide reliable, quantitative 3D measures of subtalar joint space width (JSW) following IACF and correlated the 3D JSW with clinical outcomes. METHODS: After institutional review board approval, 21 patients (15 male; age, 28-70 years) who sustained IACFs and were treated with percutaneous surgical reduction underwent WBCT scans at follow-up visits 2 to 15 years (average, 7.8 years) after surgical treatment. Subtalar joint 3D JSW was computed after a semiautomated protocol was used to segment the talus and calcaneus from the WBCT data. Mean and minimum 3D JSW measurements were calculated and compared with Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) radiographic osteoarthritis grade, RAND-36 Physical (PCS) and Mental (MCS) Component Scores, and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores. Spearman's rank correlation was used to detect the strength of association between variables, with significance set at P < .05. RESULTS: Mean 3D JSW values measured from WBCT for patients with IACFs ranged from 0.9 to 2.5 mm (1.7 ± 0.4 mm) over the entire subtalar joint. Intra- and interrater reliabilities for the WBCT-based JSW measurement technique were 0.95 (95% CI, 0.91-0.97) and 0.97 (95% CI, 0.95-0.98), respectively. Mean and minimum 3D JSW values correlated inversely with VAS pain scores and KL grade (P < .05), particularly in central and posterior subtalar regions. CONCLUSION: WBCT-based methods were used to quantify the preservation/loss of JSW in patients with IACFs, enabling more accurate, definitive measurement of subtalar PTOA. The results of this study demonstrate that WBCT can be utilized to objectively assess subtalar PTOA and help us to better understand how arthritic changes affect actual patient experience. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, prognostic comparative study.

The "Ball in Basket" Technique for Tibiotalocalcaneal Fusion.

Tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis (TTCA) in severe bone deficit represents a complex challenge for expert orthopedic surgeons also. This study aims to illustrate a surgical technique, defined as "ball in basket", that facilitates the fitting of the structural bone graft (femoral head from bone bank) and its placement, in order to fill the bone gap during instrumented arthrodesis. The proposed technique includes the preparation of the recipient bone surfaces with acetabular convex reamers and of concave reamers to shape the bone graft from bone bank. This preparation guarantees a maximum congruence of the bone surfaces and a greater stability of the bone graft during the placement of the fixation devices to optimize the bone fusion and to provide a good patient clinical outcome. The preliminary results obtained for two patients, initially presenting with severe anatomical deformity associated with severe bone gap, are described. Patients underwent clinical and radiographic follow-up evaluations (respectively at 4 and 30 months of follow-up) showing radiographic healing and good functional recovery. The results are encouraging, although long-term studies and a wider cohort of patients are necessary to consider this technique a reliable aid in case of severe bone deficit. (www.actabiomedica.it).

Ultrasound Imaging Guide for Assessment of the Intrinsic Ligaments Stabilizing the Subtalar and Midtarsal Joints.

Ligament injuries around the subtalar, talocalcaneonavicular, and calcaneocuboid joints are often underestimated on clinical and imaging findings during investigation of patients with ankle and foot injuries. Because a delayed diagnosis of midtarsal ligament tears may lead to chronic pain and functional disability, an in-depth knowledge of the complex regional anatomy and of the appropriate ultrasound scanning technique is a prerequisite for evaluating these structures and avoiding misdiagnoses. The objective of this article is twofold: to describe the relevant anatomy and biomechanics related to the ligaments that stabilize the subtalar, talocalcaneonavicular, and calcaneocuboid joints, and to illustrate reasoned landmark-based scanning techniques to provide a systematic examination of these ligaments and thus make ultrasound an effective tool for assessment of patients with suspected subtalar or midtarsal sprain.

Subluxation of the Middle Facet of the Subtalar Joint as a Marker of Peritalar Subluxation in Adult Acquired Flatfoot Deformity: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Progressive peritalar subluxation (PTS) is part of adult acquired flatfoot deformity (AAFD). We investigated the use of the middle facet as an indicator of PTS using standing, weight-bearing computed tomography (CT) images. We hypothesized that weight-bearing CT would be an accurate method of measuring increased subluxation ("uncoverage") and incongruence of the middle-facet among patients with AAFD. METHODS: We included 30 patients with stage-II AAFD (20 female and 10 male; mean age, 57.4 years [range, 24 to 78 years]) and 30 matched controls (20 female and 10 male; mean age, 51.8 years [range, 19 to 81 years]) who underwent standing, weight-bearing CT. Two independent and blinded fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeons measured the amount of subluxation (percentage of uncoverage) and the incongruence angle of the middle facet at the midpoint of its longitudinal length, using coronal-plane, weight-bearing, cone-beam CT images. Intraobserver and interobserver reliabilities were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Comparisons were performed using independent t tests or Wilcoxon tests. P values of <0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Substantial to almost perfect intraobserver and interobserver reliability was observed for both measurements. We found that the middle facet demonstrated significantly increased PTS in patients with AAFD, with a mean value for joint uncoverage of 45.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 38.5% to 52.1%) compared with 4.8% (95% CI, 3.2% to 6.4%) in controls (p < 0.0001). A significant difference was also found for the incongruence angle, with a mean value of 17.3° (95% CI, 14.7° to 19.9°) in the AAFD group and 0.3° (95% CI, 0.1° to 0.5°) in controls (p < 0.0001). A joint incongruence angle of >8.4° was found to be diagnostic for symptomatic stage-II AAFD. CONCLUSIONS: We investigated the use of the middle facet of the subtalar joint as a marker for PTS in patients with AAFD. We confirmed that standing, weight-bearing CT images allowed accurate measurements and that significant differences were found in the percentage of joint uncoverage and the incongruence angle compared with controls. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The assessment of the amount of subluxation and incongruence of the middle facet of the subtalar joint represents an accurate diagnostic tool for symptomatic adult acquired flatfoot deformity.

Effect of Subtalar Fusion and Calcaneal Osteotomy on Function, Pain, and Gait Mechanics for Calcaneal Malunion.

BACKGROUND: Calcaneal malunion is a common complication of nonoperative management of calcaneal fracture, which leads to a disruption of the biomechanics of the lower extremity, pain, and permanent disability. Our aim was to evaluate pain, function, and gait after combined subtalar joint fusion, calcaneal osteotomy, and lateral wall exostectomy for patients with neglected calcaneal fractures with malunion. METHODS: Eighteen patients with malunited calcaneal fractures, varus deformity, and subtalar arthritis were operated upon and then followed up for 18 months. All cases were assessed clinically using the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) and visual analog scale (VAS); radiologically by measuring the talar inclination, talocalcaneal and talus-first metatarsal angles, and talocalcaneal height; and biomechanically by measuring the stride duration, step width, comfortable speed, and ground reaction forces in relation to the body weight. RESULTS: A significant improvement in AOFAS (59.8 preoperatively to 80.2 after 18 months) and VAS (61.1 preoperatively to 29.4) was found. Also, our study revealed a significant improvement in the radiographic measurements including the valgus angle, the talocalcaneal angle, the talocalcaneal height, and the talar inclination angle. The gait analysis found that the maximum loading force in the push-off phase and comfortable speed yielded a significant improvement postoperatively. However, no significant differences between the preoperative data and the final follow-up in terms of the step width, stride duration, maximum peak force during loading phase, and minimum peak force during midstance phase were found. CONCLUSION: The combination of valgus calcaneal osteotomy, lateral wall exostectomy, and subtalar fusion resulted in pain reduction, improved function, and better gait. However, the limited bone stock for the graft used in the subtalar fusion made use of this technique in severely reduced height unadvisable. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, case series.

Conservative management of isolated medial subtalar joint dislocations in volleyball players: a report of three cases and literature review.

Isolated subtalar dislocations (SDs) are rare injuries, representing only 1% of all foot traumas. In the current literature, only a few reports have described this acute injury as a consequence of low-middle-energy trauma during sports activities and none in professional or recreational volleyball players. Further, to the best of our knowledge, no validated standard rehabilitation programs have been described for SDs as most of them are usually treated like an ankle sprain. This report describes 3 cases of isolated, closed medial SD, which occurred during non-professional volleyball activities. All cases were successfully treated by the same conservative method: standard radiographs for diagnosis, closed reduction, subsequent CT scan to exclude associated lesions, 4-week immobilization in a below-knee cast and an early physiokinesis therapy program. Further, a review of the recent literature concerning SD was performed. The standard method applied allowed our patients to return to full sports activity at 3 months from trauma, reaching a medium AOFAS score of 96.6 at minimum follow-up of 48 months. The treated cases and the review of the literature suggest that a conservative method and early mobilization should be the first-choice treatment for closed SD, even in volleyball players. Despite the absence of a sport-specific rehabilitation program for these injuries, early physiokinesis therapy, after no more than 4-week immobilization period, allowed the improvement of our patients' hindfoot stability and their fast return to full sports activities, without any recurrence at minimum follow-up of 2 years.

Open Talar Neck Fracture With Medial Subtalar Joint Dislocation: A Case Report.

We present a unique case of an open talar neck fracture with medial subtalar joint dislocation. This rare and traumatic injury was treated with immediate open reduction of the subtalar joint and open reduction internal fixation of the talar neck fracture. After a follow-up of 2.2 years, highlighted by numerous complications including posttraumatic arthritis, soft tissue abscess, and fibrotic adhesions, the patient recovered sufficiently to return full activity.

Tibiotalocalcaneal Arthrodesis Utilizing a Titanium Intramedullary Nail With an Internal Pseudoelastic Nitinol Compression Element: A Retrospective Case Series of 33 Patients.

Nitinol has been shown to generate durable compression under loading via pseudoelastic shape memory. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a hindfoot arthrodesis nail with an internal pseudoelastic nitinol compression element. Patients who had undergone tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis from 2013 to 2016 were identified at 2 tertiary referral centers (12-week follow-up minimum). Patients managed with a tibiotalocalcaneal nail with an internal nitinol compression element were identified for review. Sagittal computed tomographic scan reformats were reviewed to calculate a percentage of joint surface bony union. Intraoperative and postoperative radiographs were compared to calculate postoperative screw position change generated by the nitinol element, a surrogate for postoperative unloading of compressive forces. Thirty-three patients were included in analysis and 81% of patients had successful union of both tibiotalar and subtalar joints. Overall, 90% of all arthrodesis surfaces united. The union rate of arthrodesis surfaces among patients without Charcot osteoarthropathy was 94%. A history of Charcot was identified as a risk factor for subtalar nonunion (p = .04) and was associated with less complete computed tomography-based tibiotalar union: 94% versus 71% (p < .01). The posterior-to-anterior screw translated an average of 3.9 mm proximally relative to the rigid portion of the nail from intraoperative to initial postoperative radiographs (p < .0001). High rates of computed tomography-confirmed union were demonstrated in the face of challenging clinical scenarios. Shortening of the pseudoelastic nitinol element occurs early in the postoperative period, indicating continued unloading of the nitinol compression element through the arthrodesis sites after initial implantation.

Foot Function After Surgically Treated Intraarticular Calcaneal Fractures: Correlation of Clinical and Pedobarographic Results of 65 Patients Followed for 8 Years.

OBJECTIVES: To correlate functional deficits after surgical treatment of displaced intraarticular calcaneal fractures (DIACFs) as measured through dynamic pedobarography with clinical and radiographic long-term results. DESIGN: Retrospective single-center study. SETTING: Level 1 trauma center. PATIENTS: Sixty-five patients with unilateral DIACFs, reexamined at an average of 8.1 years after surgery. INTERVENTION: Internal fixation of DIACF with lateral plate or percutaneous screws. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Dynamic pedobarography, AOFAS, Zwipp, SF-36 scores, Foot Function Index, Böhler angle, and articular congruity. RESULTS: When compared with the uninjured side, pedobarography of the operated foot revealed a significantly increased contact area of the hindfoot and midfoot, with a decreased contact area under first/second metatarsal (MT) and first/second toe after DIACF. Maximum pressure and pressure time integral were significantly increased at the midfoot and lateral MT with a decrease under the hindfoot and first to second MT/toe. Midfoot pressure time integral correlated with the range of plantarflexion. Fracture classification correlated with MT 1 contact time. Hindfoot and MT contact times were negatively correlated with Böhler angle. Patients with the smallest side-to-side differences in pedobarogaphy had overall highest scores and significantly greater ankle/hindfoot range of motion at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Significant correlations were found between clinical and pedobarographic results. Increased contact areas and time at the midfoot indicating a lateral load shift correlated with inferior outcome and decreased subtalar motion. These results support the importance of reconstruction of the subtalar joint and overall bony morphology of the calcaneus with preservation of subtalar motion as necessary for global foot function. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Comparison of Anatomic Structures at Risk With 2 Lateral Lengthening Calcaneal Osteotomies.

BACKGROUND:: Lateral lengthening calcaneal osteotomies (LLCOT) are commonly used to treat flexible pes planovalgus deformity. Different operative techniques have been described. The aim of this study was to examine which anatomic structures were affected by 2 different osteotomy techniques. METHODS:: Two experienced foot and ankle surgeons each performed an Evans (E)- or Hintermann (H) osteotomy on 7 cadaver feet. The mean age of the donors was 80.4 ± 4.4 years. Eight left and 6 right feet were prepared. Previously identified structures at risk were prepared and evaluated. RESULTS:: After H-LLCOT, there was no damage of the peroneus longus tendon, whereas after E-LLCOT, damage was noted in 1 case (14.3%). The peroneus brevis tendon was once cut after H-LLCOT and eroded after E-LLCOT. In one cadaver, the sural nerve was partially damaged after H-LLCOT but in no case after E-LLOCT. The calcaneal anterior and medial articular facets were intact after H-LLCOT in 100% and 85.7% and after E-LLCOT in 42.9% and 71.4%, respectively. The posterior articular surface was not affected in any cadaver. CONCLUSION:: Anatomic structures can be damaged after both osteotomies. With the Hintermann osteotomy, the calcaneal anterior and medial articular surface can be protected to a larger extent than with the Evans osteotomy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE:: The Hintermann osteotomy seems to be superior, regarding damage of the articular surfaces of the subtalar joint. These findings have to be correlated with biomechanical and clinical studies before a final recommendation can be given, which osteotomy is superior.