Non-osseous coalition of accessory anterolateral talar facet-A case series.

The accessory anterolateral talar facet (AALTF) is an anatomical variation that broadens the apex of the lateral talar process. Studies have associated it with other tarsal coalitions as a cause of rigid painful flatfoot. However, a coalition of an AALTF has never been described before. With the advent of MRI, there has been an increase in the detection of these accessory facets. Nevertheless, owing to its small size and unfamiliarity, it is not easily identified. Proper assessment of imaging findings and associated conditions is needed to confirm the diagnosis. Imaging findings in a series of four patients with painful rigid flatfoot revealed the presence of an AALTF with adjacent marrow edema and reduced joint space. This was associated with hindfoot valgus and subfibular impingement. Radiographic suspicion of a non-osseous coalition of AALTF was raised, which was confirmed intraoperatively in one of the patients and demonstrated on CT and MR images in the other patients. This case series presents rare cases of non-osseous coalition of AALTF with a new radiographic sign, the 'reverse tip of the iceberg sign'.

Zig-Zag Skin Incision for Treatment of Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) is a common entrapment neuropathy of the posterior tibial nerve. Surgery can be performed less invasively under local anesthesia. We adopted zig-zag skin incision to prevent postoperative wound complications. METHODS: Between July 2022 and June 2023, we operated on 19 legs of 14 consecutive TTS patients (5 males, 11 females; average age 73.3 years). We made a 2- to 3-cm zig-zag skin incision on the tarsal tunnel. After posterior tibial nerve decompression by posterior tibial artery (PTA) transposition, the subcutaneous layer was tightly sutured with 4-0 PDS and the skin was closed with Dermabond Advanced. We investigated adverse events that developed during the first 30 postoperative days and recorded surgical outcomes at the final visit. RESULTS: In all patients the nerves were successfully decompressed with PTA transposition. There were no intraoperative complications. During the 30 postoperative days there were no adverse events, including wound complications, and patients' symptoms improved significantly. CONCLUSION: Zig-zag skin incision was easy and convenient for surgical TTS treatment and may be useful for preventing postoperative wound complications.

Factors that affect eyelid show and their importance in upper eyelid blepharoplasty: a systematic review.

An understanding of the complexity of the surgical anatomy of the upper eyelid and the surrounding structures is mandatory when trying to minimize complications and achieve excellent cosmetic results during eyelid surgery. Postoperative upper eyelid asymmetry is one of the most common causes of patients' dissatisfaction, and several parameters should be taken into consideration when performing cosmetic blepharoplasties and ptosis surgery. Tarsal platform show and brow fat span are two of the most important variables pertaining to the perception of beauty and youthfulness that every oculoplastic and facial plastic surgeon should address when performing such surgery. The aim of this review paper is to provide a detailed anatomy of the upper eyelid and the surrounding structures, to highlight all the relevant factors that contribute to the perception of beauty and the changes that occur to the aging face and to address the preoperative factors that need to be carefully examined before performing upper eyelid surgery.

Magnetic Resonance Neurography of the Foot and Ankle.

Peripheral neuropathies of the foot and ankle can be challenging to diagnose clinically due to concomitant traumatic and nontraumatic or degenerative orthopedic conditions. Although clinical history, physical examination, and electrodiagnostic testing comprised of nerve conduction velocities and electromyography are used primarily for the identification and classification of peripheral nerve disorders, MR neurography (MRN) can be used to visualize the peripheral nerves as well as the skeletal muscles of the foot and ankle for primary neurogenic pathology and skeletal muscle denervation effect. Proper knowledge of the anatomy and pathophysiology of peripheral nerves is important for an MRN interpretation.

Ultrasound-based histological differences in thickness between puffy eyelids and normal eyelids in Asian monolid women.

BACKGROUND: Upper eyelid tissue swelling is a common characteristic among Asian monolid individuals and is associated with a high incidence of complications following eyelid surgery. Currently, there is no precise definition for upper eyelid tissue swelling; thus, further research is required to elucidate the specific causes contributing to upper eyelid puffiness. METHOD: Between June 2023 and February 2024, we recruited 84 Asian monolid women categorized into groups based on the severity of upper eyelid tissue swelling: the puffy eyelid group and normal eyelid group. High-frequency ultrasound was employed to capture images of the upper eyelids and measure the thickness of various tissue layers. This study aimed to conduct a comparative analysis to identify the factors contributing to upper eyelid fullness, focusing on elucidating the underlying causes of this condition. RESULT: All volunteers underwent bilateral upper eyelid ultrasound imaging. Significant differences were observed in the thickness of subcutaneous fat, pre-tarsal fat, retro-orbicularis oculi fat (ROOF), and composite fat (ROOF and preaponeurotic fat) layer between the puffy and normal eyelid groups. However, no significant differences were found in skin thickness or orbicularis oculi muscle thickness. Additionally, no significant differences were observed in the thickness of various layers of the upper eyelid tissue between the left and right eyes in all participants. CONCLUSION: Thickening of the upper eyelid fat layer is a primary cause of upper eyelid puffiness. In upper blepharoplasty, targeted removal of preaponeurotic fat, ROOF, and pre-tarsal fat can achieve precise reduction to correct upper eyelid puffiness effectively.

CLINICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF PATIENTS WITH TARSAL COALITIONS. / CARACTERIZACIÓN CLÍNICA DE PACIENTES CON COALICIONES TARSIANAS.

BACKGROUND: Tarsal coalitions are aberrant unions of two or more tarsal bones which may condition variable foot and ankle conditions. Their incidence is also variable but most frequently diagnosed coalitions are talocalcaneal and calcaneonavicular. This article aims to evaluate clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients diagnosed with tarsal coalitions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional descriptive study of patients with tarsal coalitions from August 2007 to January 2020 in a private University Hospital in Madrid, Spain. Data on age, sex, type of coalition according to anatomical location and tissue type, laterality and hindfoot condition and symptoms were obtained and analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 57 patients identified (80 feet), there were 31 males (54.4%) and 26 females (45.6%). Average age was 36.9 years. The total number of coalitions was 85. There were 48 bilateral coalitions (56,5%). Fifty-two talocalcaneal coalitions (TCC) (61.2%), 32 calcaneonavicular coalitions (CNC) (37.6%) and 1 calcaneocuboid coalition (1.2%) were registered. Our series showed 36 osseous coalitions (42.4%) and 49 fibrocartilaginous coalitions (57.6%). When evaluated separately, 35 of the TCC were osseous (67.3%) and 17 were fibrocartilaginous (32.7%); 1 of the CNC was osseous (3.1%) and 31 were fibrocartilaginous (96.9%). DISCUSSION: In our review, TCC was the most frequent subtype, with the majority being the bony in nature. In the distribution according to sex, a higher incidence of males is found within the CCN group (Fisher's Exact test, p = 0.032). Some of the results obtained are different from what was previously reported in the literature, which gives rise to new studies that explain this difference in our population.

Massive tarsal coalition with extended tarsometatarsal coalition in a child: a case report.

Tarsal coalition refers to the union of two or more tarsal bones, which mostly involves the calcaneonavicular and talocalcaneal joints; it is rarely found in multiple unions or unions extended to the metatarsal bones. Nearly 50% of cases occur bilaterally and can be either symmetrical or asymmetrical. We described a rare case of symmetrically bilateral tarsal coalitions involving all the tarsal bones, except for the medial cuneiform, and extending to the fourth metatarsal bones in a 5-year-old boy. This patient exhibited no obvious symptoms and had not received any further intervention, only regular follow-up. To our knowledge, this is the first report of this type of massive coalition involving the union of six tarsals and one tarsometatarsal bilaterally.

Sustainable treatment success of an Os naviculare syndrome using conservative measures, infiltration therapy, and shock waves.

Medial plantar foot pain can have various causes, and the painful Os tibiale externum should be considered in the differential diagnosis. A reliable diagnosis can be made through physical examination and multimodal imaging. We report on a 53-year-old man with severe, load-dependent pain consistent with an accessory navicular syndrome, caused by a pes planovalgus, which consecutively induced focal inflammation and tenosynovitis of the tibialis posterior tendon. Multifactorial conservative measures, including infiltration therapy, provided only moderate symptom relief. A final shockwave therapy ultimately led to a sustainable symptom relief.

Morphological and morphometric analysis of tarsal bones according to sex.

PURPOSE: Our aim in the study is to measure the area and volume of the tarsal bones and examine the typing of the talus and calcaneus joint surfaces according to sex. METHODS: In our study, the area and volume measurements of 630 tarsal bones and the morphology of the talus/calcaneus were analyzed by transferring thin-section Computed Tomography (CT) images to the 3D Slicer program. RESULTS: The volume and area sizes of the foot bones are calcaneus, talus, cuboid, navicular, medial cuneiform, lateral cuneiform, and intermediate cuneiform, respectively. All area and volume values of males were statistically higher than females (p < 0.05). The right side calcaneus area, intermediate cuneiform area, and lateral cuneiform area values were statistically higher than the left side (p < 0.045, p < 0.044, p < 0.030, respectively). There was no statistical relationship between age and area/volume values (p > 0.05). Three different types were seen in the calcaneus and seven in the talus. The most common type in the calcaneus was B1 (40%), and the least common type was A (27.8%). Regardless of the subgroups, the most common type in the talus was type B (37.8%), while the least common type was E2 (1.1%). CONCLUSION: Although morphometric measurements of tarsal bones differed according to sex, they did not differ according to age. The frequency of occurrence of the types of articular surfaces of the talus and calcaneus varies according to populations. We think that the morphometry and morphology of tarsal bones will contribute to invasive procedures regarding tarsal bones and surrounding structures, and that three-dimensional bone modeling can be used to create educational materials.

Functional and Radiological Outcome after Internal Fixation of Intra-articular Calcaneal Fractures.

Introduction: Calcaneal fractures are rare injuries constituting 2% of all fractures. Fractures of calcaneum correspond to nearly 60-75% of the tarsal bone fractures. The calcaneum is the most commonly fractured tarsal bone 90% occur in males between 21 and 45 years of age. The calcaneal fracture may be extra-articular (sparing the subtalar joint) and intra-articular involving the subtalar joint. Intra-articular fractures account for approximately 75% of calcaneal fractures and have been associated with poor functional outcomes. In this study, we aim to assess the functional outcome of internal fixation in displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures. Materials and Methods: A prospective interventional study was conducted on patients with only intra-articular calcaneal fractures admitted to Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Kelambakkam during the period from May 1, 2022, to February 29, 2024, and a total of 32 patients were considered. The functional outcome was assessed by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle Hindfoot Scoring System. Results: The average age of the patients in our study was 39 years of which all were male. Fall from height is the most common mode of injury. The right calcaneum is more commonly involved than the left. The mean duration of hospital stay was around 10 days. The fracture classification was based on the sanders and Essex-Lopresti classification of which 17 patients were sanders type 3 and 13 patients were sanders type 2 and 1 patient was sanders type 4. The mean time for radiological union is 12 weeks. The Bohler's angle and Gissane's angle preoperatively 16.16 ± 8.87 and 121.48 ± 7.47 restored to near normal values after fixation 27.77 ± 6.02 and 113.485 ± 44, respectively. Heel height and heel width restored to near normal values of (pre-operative heel height - 24.74 ± 3.71 and heel width - 39.97 ± 4.11 and post-operative heel height - 31.55 ± 3.38 and heel width - 34.0 ± 3.1), respectively. The most common complications were wound-related complications (superficial wound infection - 9.7%, deep wound infection - 3.2%, and wound margin necrosis and wound dehiscence 6.4%) and the most common late complications were complex regional pain syndrome - 9.7% and subfibular lateral impingement with peroneal tendinitis - 6.5%. AOFAS grading of functional outcome had shown good to excellent results in 83.8% (26 patients) of the cases. The mean AOFAS score was 83.39 in our study. Conclusion: The present study shows that open reduction and internal fixation give superior radiographic results as shown by the restoration of Bohler's and Gissane's angle and height and width of the calcaneus to near normal values, indicating anatomical restoration of calcaneal shape. The functional outcome by AOFAS score showed good to excellent results in most of the patients with minimal wound complications.

Open Capsular Repair with Dermal allograft and tarsal tunnel release in the treatment of Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome in a Young Collegiate Athlete: A Case Report.

Tarsal tunnel syndrome is an entrapment neuropathy of the posterior tibial nerve beneath the flexor retinaculum that can be precipitated by either intrinsic or extrinsic factors. We report a unique case of a posterior medial ankle joint capsular defect with localized fluid extravasation between the flexor digitorum longus and flexor hallucis longus leading to symptoms consistent with tarsal tunnel syndrome in a collegiate tennis player. This patient is a 19-year-old female with no past medical history who presented with symptoms consistent with tarsal tunnel syndrome. After confirmation with magnetic resonance imaging, the patient underwent capsular reconstruction with dermal allograft in combination with a tarsal tunnel release. The patient had improvement in pain and recovery of paresthesia 3 months postoperatively. At the latest follow-up of 1 year postoperatively, the patient has not had a recurrence of symptoms and has returned to the same level of competitive play. Many different causes of tarsal tunnel syndrome are described in the literature, but to our knowledge, there is no current literature that describes a defect in the tibiotalar joint capsule as a cause of tarsal tunnel syndrome.

Tarsal Coalition: Surgical Management in the Young Athlete.

Tarsal coalition is an abnormal bony, cartilaginous, or fibrous bridge between 2 or more tarsal bones. Adolescent athletes with tarsal coalitions typically present with symptoms that include foot and/or ankle pain and limited range of motion. Loss of mobility can lead to abnormal loading, articular instability, deformity, and joint degeneration. Nonoperative management includes immobilization, physical therapy, and custom foot orthosis. Surgical options include coalition excision and fat graft interposition, foot realignment, or a combination of these. Surgical treatment requires evaluation of the coalition type, foot alignment, and degenerative changes in the adjacent joints.

The management of tarsal tunnel syndrome: A scoping review.

Background: Tarsal tunnel syndrome, also known as posterior tibial neuralgia, is a compressive neuropathy of the posterior tibial nerve or one of its divisions (calcaneal, lateral plantar or medial plantar nerve) within the tarsal tunnel. This scoping review aims to systematically map and summarise current literature regarding the management of tarsal tunnel syndrome. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Emcare, Medline and Cinahl were searched using the terms 'tarsal tunnel', 'syndrome', 'entrapment', 'compression', 'posterior tibial', 'neuropathy' and 'neuralgia. Two stage title abstract screening was performed. Observational studies reporting the outcome of treatment of tarsal tunnel syndrome were included. Results: A total of 32 studies were included in the review. Excellent or good results are seen in 75.3 % of cases, with the remainder (24.7 %) achieving fair or poor outcomes. Factors which may influence outcome include patient age, symptom duration, aetiology, co-morbidities, pre-treatment symptom severity and nerve fibrosis. Conclusions: Although favourable outcomes are seen in the majority of cases, poor results are not uncommon. A range of prognostic factors are identified; however, firm conclusions cannot be drawn from the findings of individual low-quality studies. Further research in identifying prognostic factors may aid in clinical decision making and management of patient expectations. Level of evidence: Level IV Scoping review.

Stretching of Mechanoreceptors in Superior Tarsal Muscle Reflexively Contracts Slow-Twitch Fibers in Facial Expression Muscles: A Case Series.

Levator palpebrae superioris muscle (LPSM) and facial muscles comprise fast-twitch fibers (FTFs) and slow-twitch fibers (STFs) but lack muscle spindles required to contract STFs reflexively. Voluntary contractions and microsaccades of FTFs in LPSM stretch mechanoreceptors in superior tarsal muscle (STM) to induce phasic contractions of STFs in LPSM and frontalis muscle via mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus (MTN). They also induce prolonged contractions of STFs in bilateral frontalis and orbital orbicularis oculi muscles and physiological arousal via MTN and rostral locus coeruleus (LC). We hypothesized that stretching of mechanoreceptors in STM also induces prolonged contractions of STFs in other facial expression muscles (FEMs) via rostral LC. To verify this hypothesis, we reported a case series of abnormal contractions of FEMs due to aponeurosis disinsertion and disordered mechanoreceptor stretching. The first and second cases, which showed unilaterally and bilaterally sensitized mechanoreceptors, respectively, recorded increased prolonged contractions of ipsilateral and bilateral grimacing muscles, respectively. The third and fourth cases with asymmetrically and bilaterally desensitized mechanoreceptors experienced asymmetrically and bilaterally decreased prolonged contractions of grimacing and smiling muscles, respectively. Preoperatively and after surgery was performed to adjust mechanoreceptor stretching and reinsert aponeuroses into tarsi, we evaluated prolonged contractions of grimacing and smiling muscles during primary gazing and facial expression movements. Surgery satisfactorily cured abnormal prolonged contractions of grimacing and smiling muscles. Stretching of mechanoreceptors in STM by microsaccades or voluntary contractions of FTFs in LPSM might activate rostral LC via MTN, which tonically or phasically stimulates FEM motor neurons to reflexively contract their STFs, respectively.

Stretching of Putative Mechanoreceptors in the Inferior Tarsal Muscle Regulates Tonic and Clonic Reflex Contractions of Slow-Twitch Fibers in the Palpebral Orbicularis Oculi Muscle Causing Apraxia of Eyelid Opening: A Case Series.

The levator palpebrae superioris muscle (LPSM) and facial muscles comprise both fast-twitch fibers (FTFs) and slow-twitch fibers (STFs). Still, they lack the muscle spindles to induce reflex contractions of STFs. Because reflex contractions of STFs in the LPSM and frontalis muscle, which are the major eyelid opening muscles, are induced by stretching of mechanoreceptors in the superior tarsal muscle, those in the palpebral orbicularis oculi muscle (POOM), which is the major eyelid closing muscle, should not be induced by stretching of the same proprioceptors but instead induced by the proprioceptors in the vicinity of the POOM. Apraxia of eyelid opening (AEO) after eyelid closure might be caused by prolonged POOM contraction. Most patients with AEO tend to stretch the upper and lower eyelids by applying contact lenses and eyedrops to disinsert the aponeurosis and retractor from the tarsi. They taught us that pulling down or raising the lower eyelid decreased or increased involuntary contraction of the POOM, which relieved or worsened AEO, respectively. Then, they asked us to have the lower eyelid lowered and the upper eyelid raised surgically. Whenever the upper eyelid is opened by contractions of the LPSM with the global layer of superior rectus muscle (GLSRM), the lower eyelid is concomitantly opened by contractions of the global layer of inferior rectus muscle (GLIRM), which counteracts the contraction of the GLSRM to maintain the visual axis. We hypothesized that patients with retractor disinsertion raise the lower eyelid by eyelid closure to stretch putative mechanoreceptors in the inferior tarsal muscle (ITM), which induces prolonged tonic and clonic reflex contractions of STFs in the POOM, resulting in AEO. To retrospectively verify the hypothesis, we report five cases with AEO. In the first case, AEO was induced by tight eyelid closure but was prevented by pulling down the lower eyelid during eyelid closure. Surgery to reinsert retractors into the tarsi cured AEO. In the second case, the patient sustained both severe aponeurosis-disinserted blepharoptosis and AEO. In this patient, the first surgery to reinsert aponeuroses to the the tarsi cured AEO, but a tight eyelid closure induced prolonged POOM contraction. The second surgery conducted to reinsert the retractors to the tarsi cured AEO. In the third case, with the entire eyelid AEO, surgery done to reinsert the retractors to the tarsi almost cured the entire eyelid AEO. In the fourth case, an increased clonic contraction of the POOM on the right eyelid after a tight eyelid closure was relieved by 4% lidocaine instillation to anesthetize the ITM. In the fifth case, downgaze induced clonic reflex contraction of the right POOM because of the right retractor disinsertion. Thus, prolonged tonic and clonic reflex contractions of STFs in the POOM appeared to be regulated by enhanced stretching of putative mechanoreceptors in the ITM in patients with retractor disinsertion due to increased contractions and microsaccades of FTFs in the GLIRM. Because reflex contractions of STFs in the POOM by stretching of putative mechanoreceptors in the ITM might essentially attach the upper and lower eyelids to the globe, AEO might simply be the increased reflex contraction of the POOM.

Ontogenic transformation of the ankle from the initial mediolateral arrangement of the calcaneus and talus: A histological study of human embryos and early fetuses.

The human calcaneus is robust and provides a prominent heel for effective bipedal locomotion, although the adjacent talus has no muscle attachments. However, there is incomplete information about the morphological changes in these prominent bones during embryo development. We examined serial histological sections of 23 human embryos and early-term fetuses (approximately 5-10 weeks' gestational age [GA]). At a GA of 5 weeks, the precartilage talus was parallel to and on the medial side of the calcaneus, which had a prolate spheroid shape and consisted of three masses. At a GA of 6 weeks, the cartilaginous talus extended along the proximodistal axis, and the tuber calcanei became long and bulky, with a small sustentaculum talus at the "distal" side. At a GA of 6 to 8 weeks, the sustentaculum had a medial extension below the talus so that the talus "rode over" the calcaneus. In contrast, the talus had a more complex shape, depending on the growth of adjacent bones. At a GA of 9 to 10 weeks, the talus was above the calcaneus, but the medial part still faced the plantar subcutaneous tissue because of the relatively small sustentaculum. Therefore, the final morphology appeared after an additional several weeks. Muscle activity seemed to facilitate growth of the tuber calcanei, but growth of the other parts of calcaneus, including the sustentaculum, seemed to depend on active proliferation at the different sites of cartilage. Multiple tendons and ligaments seemed to fix the talus so that it remained close to the calcaneus.

Accessory foot bones in a Portuguese identified skeletal collection.

Data from dry bone samples, collected from anatomical or archaeological collections, can improve the knowledge regarding accessory foot bones, including prevalence, size, shape and laterality, that can be useful in disparate fields of research, from medicine to bioarcheology. In the present study, the prevalence of six accessory foot bones (os trigonum, calcaneus secundarium, accessory navicular bone, os vesalianum, os sustentaculum and os intermetatarseum) was assessed in a sample of 486 individuals (226 females, 260 males) from the Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection (CISC). The most frequent accessory bones are os trigonum (9.9%; 48/485) and calcaneus secundarium (6.0%; 29/486), while the most uncommon is os sustentaculum (0.4%; 2/486). No sex differences were observed. All accessory bones occur more often unilaterally, with the exception of the accessory navicular bone that, in the majority of cases, occurs bilaterally. The unilateral expression of os trigonum, calcaneus secundarium and os vesalianum was mostly in the right foot. The co-occurrence of accessory foot bones was recorded in 1.7% of the individuals (8/486), and the combinations of os trigonum and calcaneus secundarium were the most frequently observed. This research emphasizes the relevance of conducting studies on reference skeletal collections in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of anatomical variations in the foot. This understanding is crucial for accurate diagnoses and successful treatment in clinical settings, as well as for establishing population comparison standards in the fields of bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology.

Safety and efficacy of ultrasound-guided percutaneous flexor retinaculum release of the ankle: an anatomical study.

Background: Tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) is a condition in which the tibial nerve (TN) (or its terminal branches) is compressed by the flexor retinaculum (FR) and the deep fascia of the abductor hallucis muscle at the tarsal tunnel, causing symptoms that negatively impact the patient's quality of life, including numbness, a sensation of a foreign object, coldness, and pain. FR release via microtrauma using needle-knife has proven to be effective in China and is widely used by clinicians. The traditional acupotomy, however, is the "blind knife" treatment, which cannot guarantee patient safety due to risk of injury to important structures, particularly the neurovascular bundle. Compared with the conventional treatments, ultrasound-guided percutaneous FR release possesses noteworthy advantages including high efficacy and safety. Methods: Percutaneous release of the FR was performed on 51 formalin-fixed specimens. The specimens were divided into two groups: an ultrasound-guided acupotomy pushing group comprising 20 legs (group U) and a nonultrasound-guided acupotomy pushing group comprising 31 legs (group N). After high-frequency ultrasound exploration, those with clear vascular imaging were included in group U; otherwise, they were included in group N. The FR was released percutaneously, soft tissue was dissected layer by layer, and anatomical data were recorded. Results: There no cases of injury in group U (0%) and four in group N (12.9%). Among the different intervention methods, there were no significant differences in tissue injury types (χ2=2.80; P=0.09). The percentage of released FR in group U was 80.00% while that in group N was 61.29% (χ2=1.977; P=0.16), which did not represent a significant difference between the two groups. However, group U had a significantly greater release length than that in the group N (t=3.359; P=0.002), indicating that the flexor release length guided by ultrasound is significantly greater than the unguided one. Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous release of the FR using a needle-knife can provide greater length and percentage of released FR while maintaining a comparable safety rate to the unguided procedure.

A Patient with Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome Associated with the Flexor Digitorum Accessorius Longus Muscle.

The flexor digitorum accessorius longus muscle (ALM) can be overlooked as the eliciting factor in patients with tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS), an entrapment neuropathy of the posterior tibial nerve that elicits sole numbness and pain. Most elicitations are idiopathic, however, mass lesions within the tarsal tunnel can be also implicated. We report an 80-year-old woman whose flexor digitorum ALM led to the onset of bilateral TTS. She had suffered numbness in both soles for 3 years. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the bilateral tarsal tunnel showed that the posterior tibial nerve was compressed by the arteriovenous complex and in contact with the flexor digitorum ALM. We diagnosed bilateral TTS based on her symptoms and imaging findings, and performed bilateral decompression surgery of the posterior tibial nerve under local anesthesia. The artery on both sides was dislocated for nerve decompression. Because the posterior tibial nerve on the right side was strongly compressed in ankle plantar flexion we excised a portion of the tendon compressing the nerve. Postoperatively her symptoms gradually improved and she reported surgical satisfaction 6 months after the operation. In patients with flexor digitorum ALM-related TTS, the effect of dynamic factors on MRI findings and on surgical treatment decisions must be considered. Intraoperatively, not only the flexor digitorum ALM, but also other potential etiologic factors eliciting TTS must be kept in mind.

A comparison of foot fractures relative to other fragility fractures: a review and analysis of the American Orthopaedic Association's Own the Bone Database.

Evidence regarding the risk factors and characteristics of those with foot fragility fractures compared to non-foot fragility fractures is limited. Foot fragility fracture patients are more likely to be younger female with a higher BMI. A foot fragility fracture is strongly predictive of a subsequent foot fragility fracture. PURPOSE: Osteoporosis can clinically result in fragility fractures. Evidence regarding the risk factors and characteristics of foot fragility fractures compared to non-foot fragility fractures is limited. The American Orthopaedic Association's Own the Bone (OTB) is a bone health initiative with a substantial dataset. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare characteristics of patients presenting with isolated foot fragility fracture to those with a non-foot fragility fracture. METHODS: Between January 2009 and March of 2022, 58,001 fragility fractures occurred that were included in this cohort. A total of 750 patients had foot fragility fracture(s) and 57,251 patients had a non-foot fragility fracture that included shoulder, arm, elbow, forearm, wrist, spine, ribs, pelvis, hip, thigh, knee, tibia/fibula, and ankle. Demographics, fracture history, bone health factors, medication history, and medication use for each patient were reported in the OTB database. This data was utilized in our secondary cohort comparative analysis of characteristics and the risk of future fractures between foot fragility fracture and non-foot fragility fracture groups. RESULTS: Foot fragility fracture patients have a significantly higher probability to be younger (66.9 years old), female (91.5%), and have a higher BMI (28.3 kg/m2) compared to non-foot fragility fracture (p < 0.0001) patients. Patients with a foot fragility fracture are nine times (OR = 9.119, CI = 7.44-11.18, p < 0.001) more likely to have had a prior foot fragility fracture. Young, female patients with a prior foot fragility fracture are at higher risk of a future foot fragility fracture, and this risk increased as BMI increased. CONCLUSIONS: Foot fragility fracture patients are more likely to be female and younger compared to patients with a non-foot fragility fracture. A foot fragility fracture is a sentinel event considering that a prior foot fragility fracture is strongly predictive of a subsequent foot fragility fracture. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 (retrospective cohort).