Gastrocnemius release is an effective management option for Achilles tendinopathy: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: This systematic review aims to summarise the outcomes of gastrocnemius release in the management of Achilles Tendinopathy. METHODS: A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. A computer-based search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Cinahl, Scopus and ISI Web of Science. Two independent reviewers performed both title/abstract and full-text screening according to a-priori selection criteria. English-language original research studies reporting outcomes for gastrocnemius recession in patients with Achilles tendinopathy were included. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed using the MINORS criteria. RESULTS: Of the 229 articles identified following database searching, nine studies describing 145 cases of gastrocnemius recession were included in the review. Clinically important differences were reported across a range of validated patient reported outcome scores including VISA-A, FFI, FAAM and VAS pain score. Outcomes appear to be superior in patients with noninsertional Achilles tendinopathy, however further research is required to confirm this. Studies also reported an increase in ankle dorsiflexion range of motion and a good rate of return to sport/work. The overall complication rate was 10/123 (8.1%), with sural nerve injury being the most common complication, occurring in 5/123 (4.1%) of cases. CONCLUSION: The results of this review suggest gastrocnemius release to be an effective treatment option in the management of patients with Achilles tendinopathy, who have gastrocnemius contracture and have previously failed to respond adequately to non-operative treatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Cycling-related orthopaedic fractures admitted to the Major Trauma Centre in the cycling capital of the UK.

INTRODUCTION: The popularity of cycling in the United Kingdom is increasing, with a further rise likely due to recent government cycling promotion schemes. This study aims to characterise fractures sustained due to cycling-related collisions in patients presenting to a Major Trauma Centre, in the region with the highest cycling rates in the United Kingdom. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of cycling injuries presenting to our centre between January 2012 and December 2020 was performed using a prospectively collected electronic database. Comparison of fracture characteristics was made according to patient age and mechanism of injury (collision with a motorised vehicle versus collision with a non-motorised object.). RESULTS: Of the 737 patients who suffered a cycling-related injury, 292 (39.6%) suffered at least 1 fracture to the appendicular skeleton. Overall, fractures were most commonly seen in those over 50 years of age. Upper limb fractures were more common than lower limb fractures. Fractures sustained during motorised injuries were more likely to require surgical intervention than those sustained during non-motorised collisions. CONCLUSION: This study provides valuable information regarding the nature, epidemiology and treatment of fractures sustained following cycling-related accidents, adding to the paucity of similar literature in the field. Given the likely increase in future cycling uptake, our results are important to clinicians treating patients with cycling-related injuries and policymakers designing safety interventions.

Complications following ankle arthroscopy.

This systematic review aimed to summarize the full range of complications reported following ankle arthroscopy and the frequency at which they occur. A computer-based search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Emcare, and ISI Web of Science. Two-stage title/abstract and full-text screening was performed independently by two reviewers. English-language original research studies reporting perioperative complications in a cohort of at least ten patients undergoing ankle arthroscopy were included. Complications were pooled across included studies in order to derive an overall complication rate. Quality assessment was performed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine levels of evidence classification. A total of 150 studies describing 7,942 cases of ankle arthroscopy in 7,777 patients were included. The overall pooled complication rate was 325/7,942 (4.09%). The most common complication was neurological injury, accounting for 180/325 (55.4%) of all complications. Of these, 59 (32.7%) affected the superficial peroneal nerve. Overall, 36/180 (20%) of all nerve injuries were permanent. The overall complication rate following anterior ankle arthroscopy was 205/4,709 (4.35%) compared to a rate of 35/528 (6.6%) following posterior arthroscopy. Neurological injury occurred in 52/1,998 (2.6%) of anterior cases using distraction, compared to 59/2,711 (2.2%) in cases with no distraction. The overall rate of major complications was 16/7,942 (0.2%), with the most common major complication - deep vein thrombosis - occurring in five cases. This comprehensive systematic review demonstrates that ankle arthroscopy is a safe procedure with a low overall complication rate. The majority of complications are minor, with potentially life-threatening complications reported in only 0.2% of patients.

The management of foot and ankle ganglia: A scoping review.

PURPOSE: A ganglion cyst is a benign soft tissue swelling filled with hyaluronic acid and other mucopolysaccharides. Whilst they most commonly present in the wrist region, their occurrence in the foot and ankle is not rare. This scoping review aims to systematically map and summarise current evidence regarding the management of ganglia of the foot and ankle, whilst identifying areas for further research. METHODS: This scoping review follows the frameworks of Arksey and O'Malley, Levac and Peters. A comprehensive search strategy was used to identify relevant articles, before a two-stage screening process was performed independently by two reviewers. RESULTS: A total of 2286 unique articles were identified, of which 12 were included in the review. A variety of conservative and surgical treatment strategies are reported, showing good outcomes. An overall pooled recurrence rate of 29.5% was seen across 8 studies. Aspiration alone showed the highest recurrence rate (78.1%), followed by aspiration and steroid injection (62%), steroid injection alone (37.5%) and surgical excision (17.6%). The pooled complication rate across six studies was 21/261 (8.0%), with the most common complication being paraesthesia, reported in 14/261 (5.4%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: There is a lack of high-quality research currently regarding the treatment of foot and ankle ganglia. Limited evidence suggests that there could potentially be associations between time to treatment, ganglion location and extent of surgical resection and recurrence rate. However, further research is required before any definitive conclusions can be drawn.