Contemporary Review: An Overview of the Utility of Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) in Foot and Ankle Surgery.

Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) has favorable psychometric and administrative properties in orthopaedic clinical research. It facilitates clinically meaningful data collection while minimizing administration time and survey fatigue and improving compliance. PROMIS is a critical component of patient-centered care and shared decision making, as it provides enhanced communication and engagement between patients and providers. As a validated instrument, it may also aid in measuring value-based health care quality. The goal of the current work is to provide an overview of PROMIS metrics used in orthopaedic foot and ankle, including advantages and disadvantages compared to legacy scales and PROMIS's applicability in specific foot and ankle conditions based on psychometric properties. We provide a review of the literature regarding the utilization of PROMIS as an outcome measure for specific foot and ankle procedures and conditions.

The Mini C-Arm Sock: A Novel and Simple Technique for Draping to Prevent Contamination and Penetration.

The mini C-arm is frequently used in foot and ankle surgery. However, its continuous manipulation introduces potential means of contaminating the sterile surgical field. A simple and effective draping technique of the mini C-arm is described to minimize risk of contamination and sharps penetration that can damage the C-arm. Levels of Evidence: Level V.

Does the quality of preoperative closed reduction of displaced ankle fractures affect wound complications after surgical fixation?

BACKGROUND: Displaced ankle fractures are initially closed reduced and splinted with the goal of restoring gross ankle alignment. The benefits of an exact closed reduction are unclear and possibly detrimental and unnecessary if multiple attempts are made. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the quality of preoperative closed reduction in patients with operative ankle fractures affects post-operative wound complications. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of patients with isolated, closed, operative ankle fractures treated at two level 1 trauma centers who had an initial closed reduction performed on presentation. Patient demographics, fracture characteristics, data pertinent to the reduction, and post-operative wound complications were collected. A novel grading system to assess reduction quality was developed, applied, and evaluated for inter- and intra-observer agreement. RESULTS: 161 patients met inclusion criteria for analysis. 17% (27/161) sustained a post-operative wound complication. There was no statistically significant association between wound complications and quality of preoperative closed reduction (p = 0.17) nor with multiple reduction attempts (p = 0.887). However, patients with poor initial reductions had a decreased mean time to surgery (1.4 ± 2.9 versus 4.7 ± 6.3 days, p = 0.03), which may have been protective. Interclass correlation coefficients for inter- and intra-rater reliability of the classification schema was 0.942 and 0.922, respectively, demonstrating excellent agreement. CONCLUSION: There was no association between preoperative closed reduction quality and incidence of post-surgical wound complications in patients with operative ankle fractures when analyzing the variables assessed in this investigation. While initial ankle reduction is still recommended, multiple attempts to achieve a perfect reduction are likely unnecessary.

Venous Thromboembolism Disease Prophylaxis in Foot and Ankle Surgery.

There are limited data to guide the use of venous thromboembolism disease (VTED) prophylaxis after foot and ankle surgery. Although there is general consensus that the overall risk is lower than after hip or knee replacement, subpopulations of patients may be at relatively heightened risk. Furthermore, existing data are often conflicting regarding the efficacy of prophylaxis, with little acknowledgment of the tradeoffs between VTED prophylaxis and potential complications associated with the use of such medications. This article provides an overview of currently available evidence to guide decision making regarding VTED prophylaxis in patients who undergo foot and ankle surgery.