Diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) versus dynamic ultrasound for plantar plate injuries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous literature has suggested both MRI and ultrasound can accurately diagnose plantar plate tears. There is a significant cost difference between these two modalities, sparking interest for which should be the preferred method for diagnosis. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the diagnostic accuracy of MRI and dynamic, musculoskeletal ultrasound for lesser metatarsal plantar plate injuries using a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Clinicaltrials.gov were searched thru May 2020. We included studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of MRI or ultrasound for detecting plantar plate tears, using intraoperative confirmation as the gold standard comparison. Sensitivity and specificity were obtained and pooled from included studies. Summary receiver operating curves were formed for each diagnostic test to compare accuracy. Study quality was assessed using the QUADAS-2 scoring system. RESULTS: Eleven studies met our inclusion criteria, representing 227 plantar plates for MRI and 238 plantar plates for ultrasound. MRI displayed a pooled sensitivity of 89% (95% CI 0.84, 0.93) and specificity of 83% (95% CI 0.64, 0.94). Ultrasound displayed a sensitivity and specificity of 95% (95% CI 0.91, 0.98) and 52% (95% CI 0.37, 0.68), respectively. CONCLUSION: MRI was superior to ultrasound in diagnosing plantar plate injuries overall, however, ultrasound was more sensitive than MRI, suggesting a negative ultrasound would likely rule out a plantar plate injury in the presence of an equivocal physical exam. Determining the grade of the injury is best served with MRI which can provide added insight into the joint's supporting structures (e.g. collateral ligaments) and integrity.

Do Patient Personality Traits and Self-Reported Physical and Psychosocial Symptoms Help to Predict Hallux Valgus Surgery Outcomes?

As many as 10% of patients remain unsatisfied after hallux valgus surgery. We explored the effects of patient personality traits and other preoperative patient characteristics on patient-reported outcomes following surgery. Eighty consecutive adult patients (mean age 45 ± 14 years, 91% female [73/80]) undergoing scarf bunionectomy at our practice were prospectively enrolled from January 2016 to January 2017 and followed for 12 months. Predictor variables included preoperative physical and psychosocial complaints (determined via Brief Battery for Health Improvement-2 questionnaire), patient aggression level, and personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness). Primary outcome measures included the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) with its 5 subscales, and patient satisfaction. Multiple multivariable regression models were used to determine preoperative patient characteristics associated with FAOS outcome and satisfaction at 12 months. Seventy subjects (70/80, 87.5%) completed the study. All patients experienced technically successful surgery. In the multivariable regression analyses, none of the combinations of potentially important predictor variables explained more than 19.8% of the variance in any of the 5 FAOS subscales at 12 months (range: 6.1%-19.8%). Furthermore, no predictor was associated with patient satisfaction in either the univariate or multivariable analyses. We conclude that patient personality traits, aggression level, and self-reported physical and psychological symptoms do very little to predict outcomes in hallux valgus surgery. As healthcare delivery in the United States has increasingly prioritized patient satisfaction, we will need to broaden the quest for predictors associated with our best (and worst) patient-reported outcomes after hallux valgus surgery.

Correlation of Preoperative Radiographic Severity With Disability and Symptom Severity in Hallux Valgus.

BACKGROUND: Some US insurance companies have recently started to require minimum angular measurements, for coverage decisions, in patients seeking operative correction for symptomatic hallux valgus. This logic naturally assumes that the magnitude of radiographic bunion deformity is related to the magnitude of patient's presenting symptoms and/or disability. METHODS: We conducted an analysis of existing data in our practice to determine whether patient-reported symptoms and disability prior to bunion surgery correlated with preoperative radiographic measurements commonly used to quantify hallux valgus severity. Symptoms and disability level were determined using patient-reported preoperative Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), a validated instrument commonly used in hallux valgus assessment. Spearman correlation coefficient was then used to quantify the strength of any correlations. Preoperative data from 107 patients (107 feet) with mean age of 49.3 ± 13.8 years who underwent isolated osseous hallux valgus surgery within our practice between June 1, 2016, and July 30, 2018, were available. RESULTS: No radiographic variable achieved even a moderate correlation with any of the FAOS subscales with the exception of tibial sesamoid position with FAOS Pain (rho=0.402, P = .01) in patients aged 56 years and older. The direction of this correlation was positive, indicating that greater preoperative sesamoid abnormalities were paradoxically associated with less presenting pain (ie, higher FAOS Pain scores). CONCLUSION: It would appear that radiographic severity of bunion deformity is not well correlated with symptom level and/or disability and, we would argue, should not play a role in coverage decisions for patients presenting for hallux valgus surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective case series.

Correlation of Radiographic Measurements With Patient-Centered Outcomes in Hallux Valgus Surgery.

BACKGROUND:: Evaluation of patients undergoing hallux valgus surgery has historically emphasized radiographic angles and relationships. However, patient-reported outcomes are increasingly important as health care systems trend towards a "value-based" delivery approach. METHODS:: We conducted a retrospective analysis of pre-existing data in our practice to examine whether patient-reported outcomes after bunion surgery, determined via Foot and Ankle Outcome Scores (FAOS), correlated with radiographic parameters commonly measured in hallux valgus deformity. Pearson correlation statistics and simple and multiple linear regression models were used to identify important radiographic predictors. There were 80 patients (80 feet) with mean follow-up of 59.3 ± 11.6 weeks (median 55, range 45.7-96.3 weeks) with complete data. RESULTS:: No radiographic measurement/variable achieved anything more than a weak correlation with any of the FAOS subscale scores at final follow-up; the study's best was postoperative first-second intermetatarsal (IM) angle with sports and recreation scores ( r = -0.328, P = .005). There was no correlation found between change in hallux valgus angle, change in first-second IM angle, magnitude of preoperative hallux valgus angle or magnitude of preoperative first-second IM angle ( P > .05 for all). Furthermore, none of the study's final multivariable models achieved an R2 > 0.24, and nearly all fell between 0.10 and 0.17. CONCLUSION:: We conclude that radiographic angles were not well correlated with patient-centered outcomes in hallux valgus surgery. This study calls into question the current emphasis that is placed on x-ray values both pre- and postoperatively. LEVEL OF CLINICAL EVIDENCE:: Level III, comparative study.

Percutaneous Kirschner Wire Versus Commercial Implant for Hammertoe Repair: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

Hammertoe deformities are one of the most common foot deformities, affecting up to one third of the general population. Fusion of the joint can be achieved with various devices, with the current focus on percutaneous Kirschner (K)-wire fixation or commercial intramedullary implant devices. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether surgical intervention with percutaneous K-wire fixation versus commercial intramedullary implant is more cost effective for proximal interphalangeal joint arthrodesis in hammertoe surgery. A formal cost-effectiveness analysis using a decision analytic tree model was conducted to investigate the healthcare costs and outcomes associated with either K-wire or commercial intramedullary implant fixation. The outcomes assessed included long-term costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost per QALY gained. Costs were evaluated from the healthcare system perspective and are expressed in U.S. dollars at a 2017 price base. Our results found that commercial implants were minimally more effective than K-wires but carried significantly higher costs. The total cost for treatment with percutaneous K-wire fixation was $5041 with an effectiveness of 0.82 QALY compared with a commercial implant cost of $6059 with an effectiveness of 0.83 QALY. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of commercial implants was $146,667. With an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of >$50,000, commercial implants failed to justify their proposed benefits to outweigh their cost compared to percutaneous K-wire fixation. In conclusion, percutaneous K-wire fixation would be preferred for arthrodesis of the proximal interphalangeal joint for hammertoes from a healthcare system perspective.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Primary Arthrodesis Versus Open Reduction Internal Fixation for Primarily Ligamentous Lisfranc Injuries.

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether surgical intervention with open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) or primary arthrodesis (PA) for Lisfranc injuries is more cost effective. We conducted a formal cost-effectiveness analysis using a Markov model and decision tree to explore the healthcare costs and health outcomes associated with a scenario of ORIF versus PA for 45 years postoperatively. The outcomes assessed included long-term costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost per QALY gained. The costs were evaluated from the healthcare system perspective and are expressed in U.S. dollars at a 2017 price base. ORIF was always associated with greater costs compared with PA and was less effective in the long term. When calculating the cost required to gain 1 additional QALY, the PA group cost $1429/QALY and the ORIF group cost $3958/QALY. The group undergoing PA overall spent, on average, $43,192 less than the ORIF group, and PA was overall a more effective technique. Strong dominance compared with ORIF was demonstrated in multiple scenarios, and the model's conclusions were unchanged in the sensitivity analysis even after varying the key assumptions. ORIF failed to show functional or financial benefits. In conclusion, from a healthcare system's standpoint, PA would clearly be the preferred treatment strategy for predominantly ligamentous Lisfranc injuries and dislocations.

Scarfette osteotomy for surgical treatment of bunionette deformity.

Numerous procedures have been described for a bunionette deformity. Choosing a specific osteotomy depends largely on the degree of the deformity and surgeon preference. The Scarfette osteotomy is a versatile procedure that addresses specific etiologic factors associated with bunionette deformities. The primary aim of this study is to show the versatility of the Scarfette osteotomy in varying degrees of bunionette deformities. A retrospective review of 50 cases was performed with a follow-up of 12 months. Objective information was obtained by measuring specific radiographic variables on preoperative and postoperative weight-bearing radiographs. Mean radiographic results are presented for the intermetatarsal 4-5 angle, lateral deviation angle, and fifth metatarsophalangeal angles postoperatively. The authors report short-term results of the Scarfette osteotomy in the correction of bunionette deformities. The Scarfette is a predictable and versatile osteotomy to correct varying degrees of bunionette deformities. The Scarfette is not technically demanding and allows early postoperative ambulation.