Foot Health Assessment and Problem Identification in a Dominican Batey Community: A Descriptive Study.

PURPOSE: Foot problems can adversely impact foot function and quality of life. Foot problems are often overlooked, particularly in populations with limited health care access. Little is known about the foot health of Haitian immigrants who live and work in the bateyes (rural sugarcane villages) of the Dominican Republic. These immigrant workers may experience foot problems that could affect foot function and the ability to work and provide for their families. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, exploratory, descriptive study design. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: A convenience sample of adults was recruited from an ongoing community-based participatory research project evaluating a mobile hypertension screening and treatment clinic program in 11 Dominican batey communities. METHODS: Foot health was assessed using the Foot Problems Checklist, a 24-item survey instrument developed for this study based on a review of the literature and foot clinician expertise. A certified foot care nurse recorded foot health data on the Foot Problems Checklist via visual and physical inspection. RESULTS: Study participants were 25 females and 16 males, aged 18 to 90 years, and all had at least one foot health problem. The most common foot problems were calluses (78%), dry skin (76%), thick nails (59%), jagged nails (29%), long/overgrown nails (17%), and skin fissures (12%). CONCLUSIONS: While the foot problems we observed were not considered serious, they could become progressively debilitating and be prevented with proper self-management guided by appropriate knowledge and skills and available supplies. We recommend the development and testing of foot care self-management interventions deliverable via mobile clinics to increase access and improve foot health outcomes.

Acute Compartment Syndrome of the Foot Due To Frostbite: Literature Review and Case Report.

Acute compartment syndrome of the foot and ankle is a relatively rare clinical finding. Lower extremity compartment syndrome is customarily due to vascular or orthopedic traumatic limb-threatening pathologic issues. Clinical correlation and measurement of intracompartmental pressure are paramount to efficient diagnosis and treatment. Delayed treatment can lead to local and systemically adverse consequences. Frostbite, a comparatively more common pathologic entity of the distal extremities, occurs when tissues are exposed to freezing temperatures. Previously found in military populations, frostbite has become increasingly prevalent in the general population, leading to more clinical presentations to foot and ankle specialists. We present a review of the published data of acute foot compartment syndrome and pedal frostbite, with pathogenesis, treatment, and subsequent sequelae. A case report illustrating 1 example of bilateral foot, atraumatic compartment syndrome, is highlighted in the present report. The patient presented with changes consistent with distal bilateral forefoot frostbite, along with gangrenous changes to the distal tuft of each hallux. At admission and evaluation, the patient had increasing rhabdomyolysis with no other clear etiology. Compartment pressures were measured in the emergency room and were >100 mm Hg in the medial compartment and 50 mm Hg dorsally. The patient was taken to the operating room urgently for bilateral pedal compartment release. Both pathologic entities have detrimental outcomes if not treated in a timely and appropriate manner, with amputation rates increasing with increasing delay.

Spanish Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Validation of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Foot and Ankle Outcomes Questionnaire in Mexican-Americans With Traumatic Foot and Ankle Injuries.

BACKGROUND: Hispanics represent the largest minority group within the US population accounting for an estimated 55.4 million individuals. Enrolling Hispanics into clinical outcome studies is important in order for study populations to be externally valid and representative of the US population. Inclusion of Mexican-Americans in clinical studies is frequently limited by the lack of validated outcome measures. The goal of this study was to validate a Spanish version of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Foot and Ankle Outcomes Questionnaire (AAOS-FAOQ) in Mexican-Americans with traumatic foot and ankle injuries. METHODS: The translation and cross-cultural adaptation procedure was performed by a committee of bilingual speakers using the following steps: (1) forward translation and adaptation, (2) synthesis, (3) back translation, (4) committee review, and (5) pilot testing. The validation was performed in 100 Mexican-Americans with traumatic foot and ankle injuries. RESULTS: A total of 41 females and 59 males were enrolled in this study. The mean age was 42.98 years (range 18-88). The Spanish version of the Global Foot and Ankle Scale of the AAOS-FAOQ showed statistically significant correlations with all 8 subscales of the Spanish SF-36 as well as the Physical Component Summary scale and the Mental Component Summary scale (P < 0.05). The Global Foot and Ankle scale of the Spanish AAOS-FAOQ demonstrated a test-retest reliability of 0.68. CONCLUSION: We provide a Spanish translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the AAOS-FAOQ. The instrument demonstrates appropriate psychometric properties in Mexican-Americans with traumatic foot and ankle injuries.

Randomized, Prospective Comparison of Bioabsorbable and Steel Screw Fixation of Lisfranc Injuries.

OBJECTIVE: This study's objective is to compare outcomes of bioabsorbable versus steel screws for treating Lisfranc injuries. DESIGN: This research was conducted in a prospective and randomized manner between September 2008 and December 2013. SETTING: This study was performed in the outpatient setting at a tertiary-level care center in a single surgeon's practice. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Forty patients with acute Lisfranc injuries, amenable to open reduction and screw fixation, enrolled and presented for final follow-up. INTERVENTION: Through randomization, 20 and 20 patients received bioabsorbable versus steel screws, respectively. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Function and pain were graded using the Foot and Ankle Ability Measures (FAAM) and a visual analog scale of pain. Radiographs were assessed for joint stability and degeneration. RESULTS: For those with steel screws, the mean FAAM score increased from 24.9 to 89.6 of 100 and pain score decreased from 6.5 to 1.9 of 10 by latest follow-up. For those with absorbable screws, the mean FAAM score increased from 32.5 to 91.2 and pain score decreased from 4.7 to 1.3 by latest follow-up. These differences in final mean function (P = 0.4) and pain (P = 0.25) between the study groups were not statistically significant. Final radiographs showed no Lisfranc instability in any study patients, but rather midfoot arthritis in 4 and 2 patients with steel versus bioabsorbable screws, respectively. None of the patients who received steel screws had hardware-related problems, but 1 patient who received absorbable fixation developed an inflammatory reaction at a nonresorbed screw head at 2 years after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Bioabsorbable screws provide short-term results that are comparable and not significantly different from steel screws for treating unstable Lisfranc injuries. Both methods are predictable in improving function and pain, but using absorbable screws eliminates the need for hardware removal after such trauma. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Etiology, Clinical Assessment, and Surgical Repair of Plantar Plate Tears.

The plantar plate has recently gained more attention as an important structure contributing to lesser metatarsophalangeal joint stability. This has prompted a significant growth of interest in the anatomy and biomechanics of the plantar plate and in the diagnosis and treatment of its injuries. Improved understanding of plantar plate function and predictable patterns of degeneration and failure has led to the development of a clinical staging and surgical grading system of plantar plate lesions. Relatively recent innovations allow the surgeon to access and repair plantar plate tears directly with reinsertion onto the base of the proximal phalanx. The addition of direct plantar plate repair represents a significant advance in the surgical restoration of alignment and functional stability of the lesser metatarsophalangeal joint.

Classification of metatarsophalangeal joint plantar plate injuries: history and physical examination variables.

Although metatarsophalangeal (MTP) plantar plate tears are common, they are still often missed. The purpose of this study is to find the best clinical variables to define and grade the plantar plate injuries. Sixty-eight patients (100 MTP joints) were graded arthroscopically and divided into five groups (0 to IV) according to the anatomical classification. Their medical records were reviewed to establish correlations of clinical findings with the anatomical lesions. The positive correlations found were acute pain, widening of the interdigital space, loss of ground touch, positivity of the MTP joint drawer test, reduction of the toe purchase, and toe supination. The drawer test is the most reliable and accurate tool to classify and grade the plantar plate lesion, followed by ground touch and rotational deformities. It is possible to improve the accuracy of diagnosis of plantar plate tears by means of the combination of both clinical history and physical examination data.

Subtle Lisfranc joint ligament lesions: surgical neoligamentplasty technique.

The results achieved with this technique after a mean follow-up of 8 years (85% excellent and good results) allow neoligamentplasty to be considered as a viable alternative to the classic procedures in the treatment of subtle intercuneiform and tarsometatarsal joint lesions.

Pull-out technique for plantar plate repair of the metatarsophalangeal joint.

Plantar plate rupture is a common cause of forefoot pain, multiplanar malalignment, subluxation, or dislocation of the metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ). The treatments that have been described for MTPJ instability of lesser toes include amputation, lengthening and/or tendon transfer, periarticular soft-tissue release (capsule, collateral ligaments, and plantar plate), colateral ligament reconstruction, metatarsal shortening osteotomy, and suture of plantar plate lesion. This article outlines the anatomy, pathogenesis, and diagnosis of plantar plate rupture, and describes a new technique that combines joint decompression by Weil osteotomy with a plantar plate repair using a pull-out technique.

Análise do arco longitudinal medial em adolescentes usuárias de calçados de salto alto / Analysis of the medial longitudinal arch in adolescents users of high heeled shoes

O objetivo do estudo foi analisar a influência do calçado de salto alto no arco longitudinal medial (ALM) do pé de adolescentes. Fizeram parte do estudo 82 adolescentes entre 13 e 20 anos, sendo 54 não usuárias (grupo controle - GC) e 28 usuárias (grupo experimental - GE) de calçado de salto alto. Foram obtidas as impressões plantares de ambos os pés para análise do ALM, antes e depois do uso de um calçado de salto alto padronizado por um período de 30 minutos. As impressões plantares foram avaliadas pelo índice de Chippaux-Smirak (ICS) e pelo arco de Cavanagh & Rodgers (ICR). O teste de Shapiro-Wilks foi utilizado para a verificação da normalidade dos dados. Variáveis paramétricas pareadas foram tratadas com o Teste t de Student pareado e as não-paramétricas com o teste de Wilcoxon. As comparações não-pareadas foram realizadas com o teste t de Student para as variáveis paramétricas e o de Mann-Withney para as não-paramétricas, com nível de significância de 0,05. Houve diferença no ALM entre os lados direito e esquerdo apenas no GC antes do uso do calçado. Na comparação entre antes e depois do uso do sapato, notou-se diferença apenas no pé esquerdo do GC pelo ICS. Já entre GC e GE, não houve diferença. Apesar dos resultados não evidenciarem alterações no ALM, deve-se lembrar que esta é uma medida estática, sendo necessários estudos do componente dinâmico e do uso do calçado de salto crônico para correlacionar com os achados deste trabalho.

The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of high heeled shoes in foot´s medial longitudinal arch in adolescents. Eighty two female adolescents between 13 and 20 years old participated, being 54 non-users of high heleed shoes (control group - GC) and 28 usuaries (experimental group - GE). The footprints of both feet were collected to analyse the medial longitudinal arch (ALM), before and after 30 minutes using a shoe with heel high given by the examiner, an then evaluated by Chippaux-Smirak index (ICS) and Cavanagh & Rodgers Arch index (ICR). The Shapiro-Wilks test was performed to evaluate data normality. For paired comparisons, paired Student's t-test was used in case of parametric data, and the Wilcoxon test in non-parametric data. In non-paired comparisons was used the Student's t-test and the Mann-Whitney test with a level of significance of 0.05. There was a difference between right and left only in CG before the use of the shoe given by the examiner. Comparing before and after the use of this shoe, a difference was noticed only on left foot in CG by ICS. There wasn't any significative difference between CG and EG. Although the results haven´t shown changes in ALM, it must be remembered this is only a static measure, being necessary studies of the dinamic component and the chronic use of high heeled shoes to correlate with the findings of this work.

Analisis prospectivo de las reglas de Ottawa para el tobillo: con la modificacion realizada por Leddy y colaboradores para aumentar su especificidad / Prospective evaluation of the Ottawa ankle rules, with the Leddy et al modification to increase specificity

Introduccion: El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar, en forma prospectiva, la validez de las reglas de Ottawa para el tobillo con la modificacion realizada por Leddy (ROTm), como reglas de decision en la indicacion de radiografias en los traumatismos de tobillo y/o mediopie.Materiales y metodos: Se les aplico la regla y se les realizaron radiografias a todos los pacientes adultos que acudieron al servicio de guardia de ortopedia del Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires por traumatismos del tobillo o del mediopie desde el 1 de diciembre de 2002 hasta el 1 de abril de 2003. Fueron criterios de exclusion: edad inferior a 18 años, embarazo, politraumatismos, alteraciones graves del sensorio y/o de la conciencia, lesion de mas de 10 dias de evolucion, quemaduras por insolacion y lesiones cutaneas secundarias al trauma en la zona por palpar, presencia de gran inflamacion o edema que impidiera la palpacion de los relieves oseos y en caso de que no fuera esta la primera consulta. Se calculo: sensibilidad, valor predictivo negativo, especificidad y valor predictivo positivo. Resultados: De una muestra de 123 pacientes, 27 presentaron fractura (21,95 por ciento), 9 de la zona maleolar (7,31 por ciento) y 18 de la zona del mediopie (14,63 por ciento). La sensibilidad global de las ROTm fue del 0,98 (IC 95 por ciento 0,85-0,99), el valor predictivo negativo fue del 0,98 (IC 95 por ciento 0,86-0,99). La especificidad fue del 0,31 (IC 95 por ciento 0,23-0,41) y el valor predictivo positivo fue del 0,29 (IC 95 por ciento 0,21-0,39). Conclusiones: Las ROTm son validas en nuestro medio como reglas de decision a la hora de solicitar radiografias en los pacientes con traumatismo del tobillo y del mediopie

Management of pedal puncture wounds.

Puncture wounds of the foot are a commonly encountered traumatic entity. Their management, however, is often inadequate and can lead to serious secondary complications. A comprehensive knowledge of proper treatment protocol should be mandated for any clinician who treats the lower extremity.