Risk Factors for Complications Associated With Minimally Invasive Medial Displacement Calcaneal Osteotomy.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have reported the outcomes following minimally invasive medial displacement calcaneal osteotomy (MDCO) for correction of pes planovalgus deformities. METHODS: Charts were retrospectively reviewed for consecutive patients who underwent minimally invasive MDCO procedures by a single surgeon from 2013 to 2019 with more than 3 months of follow-up. A total of 160 consecutive patients who underwent 189 minimally invasive MDCO procedures were included in the study. Median follow-up was 12 months (interquartile range, 7-25 months). RESULTS: Osteotomy healing complications were present in 7% of cases during the 6-year study period. A 12-month case cluster of osteotomy healing complications was observed. Healing complication rates were 28% during the cluster and 0.7% outside of the cluster. No definitive cause was found for the case cluster, although heat osteonecrosis from the burr was suspected to be involved. Osteotomy healing complications were significantly associated with higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, female sex, current tobacco use, and higher body mass index (BMI). Healing complications were not associated with osteotomy technique or fixation type. Other complications included wound dehiscence (3%), surgical site infection (2%), transient nerve symptoms (6%), and persistent nerve symptoms (2%). Nerve symptoms were significantly associated with an increased number of concomitant procedures. CONCLUSION: Patients with higher ASA classification, current tobacco use, and higher BMI were at higher risk for osteotomy healing complications after minimally invasive MDCO procedures. Patients were also more likely to develop nerve complications with more extensive surgical procedures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective case series.

Load to Failure and Stiffness of Interference Screw vs Pulvertaft Weave for Distal Fixation in Peroneal Allograft Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Allograft reconstruction of the peroneal tendons is an option for treatment of major tears of 1 or both peroneal tendons. No consensus on a superior distal fixation method has been reported. The purpose of the study was to compare load to failure and stiffness of a Pulvertaft weave (PTW) through a residual tendon stump to direct-to-bone interference screw (IS) fixation. METHODS: Fifteen pairs of long leg cadaver specimens were used. All grafts were secured proximally to the peroneus brevis myotendinous junction via a PTW technique. Distally, the tendons were either sutured to the peroneus brevis stump via PTW or secured to the base of the fifth metatarsal via IS. Stiffness (slope of force/displacement) was measured for the intact tendon and after reconstruction, and finally each specimen was loaded to failure. RESULTS: Mean load to failure was significantly higher in the PTW group compared with the IS group (373.6 ± 265.5 N vs 150.1 ± 93.1 N; P = .01). The PTW and IS groups had significantly lower stiffness compared with the intact specimens (P < .001). There was no statistical significance in stiffness between the 2 techniques (P = .96). CONCLUSION: The PTW technique yielded higher load to failure in comparison to IS. There was no difference in overall construct stiffness between both techniques. Both constructs demonstrated 19% decrease in stiffness compared to the intact state. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The PTW and IS constructs were biomechanically similar, and these results suggest that both should be moderately overtensioned to compensate for an inherent decreased initial stiffness.

Biomechanical Comparison of Hook Plate vs Headless Compression Screw Fixation of Large Fifth Metatarsal Base Avulsion Fractures.

BACKGROUND: Debate exists on the optimum fixation construct for large avulsion fractures of the fifth metatarsal base. We compared the biomechanical strength of 2 headless compression screws vs a hook plate for fixation of these fractures. METHODS: Large avulsion fractures were simulated on 10 matched pairs of fresh-frozen cadaveric specimens. Specimens were assigned to receive two 2.5-mm headless compression screws or an anatomic fifth metatarsal hook plate, then cyclically loaded through the plantar fascia and metatarsal base. Specimens underwent 100 cycles at 50%, 75%, and 100% physiological load for a total of 300 cycles. RESULTS: The hook plate group demonstrated a significantly higher number of cycles to failure compared with the screw group (270.7 ± 66.0 [range 100-300] cycles vs 178.6 ± 95.7 [range 24-300] cycles, respectively; P = .039). Seven of 10 hook plate specimens remained intact at the maximum 300 cycles compared with 2 of 10 screw specimens. Nine of 10 plate specimens survived at least 1 cycle at 100% physiologic load compared with 5 of 10 screw specimens. CONCLUSION: A hook plate construct was biomechanically superior to a headless compression screw construct for fixation of large avulsion fractures of the fifth metatarsal base. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Whether using hook plates or headless compression screws, surgeons should consider protecting patient weight-bearing after fixation of fifth metatarsal base large avulsion fracture until bony union has occurred.

Outpatient Shoulder Arthroplasty at an Ambulatory Surgery Center Using a Multimodal Pain Management Approach.

INTRODUCTION: Early reports of outpatient shoulder arthroplasty are promising, although a paucity of outcome data exists, particularly for the outpatient shoulder arthroplasty performed at a freestanding ambulatory surgery center (ASC). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 61 shoulder arthroplasty procedures (21 consecutive outpatients and 40 inpatients) was performed. Outpatient shoulder arthroplasties were conducted at a freestanding ASC using a multimodal pain regimen without the use of regional anesthesia. The primary outcome was 90-day postoperative complication rate. Secondary outcomes included 90-day hospital admissions or readmissions, emergency department and urgent care visits, revision surgeries, mortality, postoperative pain, and functional scores. RESULTS: No major complications, readmissions, revision surgeries, or deaths occurred in the outpatient cohort. The rate of 90-day complications was 9.5% and 17.5% for the outpatient and inpatient cohorts, respectively. All patients who had their shoulder arthroplasty as an outpatient were discharged home the day of surgery. No complications related to the outpatient protocol were observed. However, 4.8% of those who had outpatient surgery visited an emergency department or urgent care within 90 days compared with 5.0% of those who had surgery as an inpatient. DISCUSSION: Outpatient shoulder arthroplasty can be performed safely and predictably in select patients at an ASC using a multimodal pain regimen without regional nerve block.