Scholarly Productivity Among Academic Foot and Ankle Surgeons Affiliated With US Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency and Fellowship Training Programs.

Foot and ankle surgeons practicing within academic medicine balance clinical or surgical training, course instruction, administrative duties, and research. Along with clinical skills and patient volume, promotion within academia often relies on scholarly productivity. Previous research across specialties described this productivity using variables including publications, citations, and the h-index, a scale that quantifies the productivity and citation impact of published works, among academic ranks. As no studies examine the scholarly impact of foot and ankle surgeons with academic appointments, this study aimed to analyze the productivity and gender differences present in this specialty. A systematic review of academic-affiliated foot and ankle surgery residencies and fellowships was performed; and faculty members were screened for sex, academic rank, publication history, citations, h-index, and years in practice. Among 234 programs reviewed, 44 programs allowed for the analysis of 106 practitioners with an academic rank eligible for analysis. Overall, 78.3% of practitioners were male with the most common rank being assistant professor. Men published more documents and maintained higher citations as well as longer years in practice, and this was significant (p < .05). A significant difference was exhibited among all academic ranks (p ≤ .001). Multivariate regression revealed the publication history and years in practice are strongly correlated with the h-index of providers (p ≤ .001). Foot and ankle surgeons practicing in an academic setting may use the results of this study to gauge their productivity and identify benchmarks that similar providers have met at varying academic ranks.

Intermetatarsal Angle and Hallux Abductus Angle Reduction After First Metatarsophalangeal Joint Arthrodesis in Mild, Moderate, and Severe Hallux Valgus.

BACKGROUND: First metatarsophalangeal joint fusion is a commonly used procedure for treating many pathologic disorders of the first ray. Historically, hallux valgus deformity with severely increased intermetatarsal angle or metatarsus primus adductus indicated need for a proximal metatarsal procedure. However, the effectiveness and reliability of first metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis in reducing the intermetatarsal angle has been increasingly described in the literature. We compared findings at our institution with current literature for further validation of this well-accepted procedure in correcting hallux valgus deformity with high intermetatarsal angle. METHODS: Weightbearing preoperative and postoperative radiographs of 43 patients, 31 women and 12 men, meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified. Two independent investigators measured the hallux abductus and intermetatarsal angles. Preoperative and postoperative measurements for each angle were compared and average reduction calculated. The data were further analyzed by grouping deformities as mild, moderate, and severe. Mean follow-up was 10 months. RESULTS: The overall mean preoperative intermetatarsal and hallux abductus angles decreased significantly (from 13.09° to 9.33° and from 23.72° to 12.19°, respectively; both P < .01). When grouping deformities as mild, moderate, and severe, all of the categories maintained reduction of intermetatarsal and hallux abductus angles (P < .01). Furthermore, the mean reduction of the intermetatarsal and hallux abductus angles seemed to correlate with preoperative deformity severity. CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing correction of hallux valgus deformity, first metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis produced consistent reductions in the intermetatarsal and hallux abductus angles. Furthermore, these findings are consistent with those reported by other institutions.