Comparison of three types of postoperative management for endoscopic plantar fasciotomy. A retrospective study.

This study compared three types of postoperative management of patients undergoing endoscopic plantar fasciotomy. Participating in the study were 38 patients (45 feet) who had undergone endoscopic plantar fasciotomy from 1995 to 1998. One group of patients wore a below-the-knee walking cast with a molded medial longitudinal arch for 2 weeks; another group was allowed immediate plantigrade weightbearing; the third group was nonweightbearing with crutch-assisted ambulation for 2 weeks. The results showed that the patients who wore the below-the-knee walking cast for 2 weeks required less time to obtain 80% pain relief, needed less time to return to full activities, and had fewer complications than those patients who were allowed immediate plantigrade weightbearing. Moreover, patients who wore the below-the-knee walking cast were more satisfied with their postoperative results than patients who were nonweightbearing for 2 weeks.

Unicameral bone cysts: treatment with methylprednisone acetate injections.

Unicameral bone cysts have been treated by a variety of methods including nonoperative treatment, bone packing, and methylprednisone acetate injection. This article reviews the methods of treatment and classification of unicameral bone cysts. Three calcaneal unicameral bone cysts were injected with methylprednisone acetate and were followed for 8 to 32 months. Two unicameral bone cysts were unresponsive to methylprednisone acetate and were classified as "persistent." One unicameral bone cyst was moderately responsive and was classified as "incompletely resolved."

The off-set V osteotomy with screw fixation for correction of hallux valgus: a retrospective study.

Thirty-five feet that have undergone an off-set V osteotomy with screw fixation are reviewed in this retrospective study. The average length of follow-up is 3 years. The osteotomy successfully reduced the intermetatarsal angle, proximal articular set angle, and hallux abductus angle while leaving the first metatarsal length and first metatarsal declination angle unchanged. Aside from effectively correcting the clinical values, this procedure was also rated very high in patient satisfaction. Satisfaction (excellent and good) with the procedure as reported by 33 (94%) and complete relief from pain was described by 23 (66%) of the respondents. The authors highly recommend this procedure based on successful reduction of radiographic angles, minimal complications, and high patient satisfaction.

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