Talar Dislocation: Is Reimplantation a Safe Procedure?

Total or complete dislocation of the talus is a triple dislocation of the tibiotalar, talocalcaneal, and talonavicular joints. It is a rare injury and is considered to be 1 of the most disabling ankle injuries. In light of the literature, there is a lack of consensus on their surgical treatment. The primary objective of this retrospective case series was to assess the long-term clinical and radiological outcomes of 5 patients who underwent talar reimplantation for total talar dislocation. From 2005 to 2011, 5 patients were admitted in emergency care unit with a total talar dislocation. The talar dislocation was surgically reduced and stabilized by a temporary internal fixation. Patients were reviewed with a mean follow-up of 60 months (48-70 months). Clinical and radiological evaluations were performed at the last follow-up. Despite 3 opened-dislocation (60%), none had infection. Three patients obtained subnormal biomechanical function with an American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Score of 60 to 70/100. Two others patients (40%) underwent a secondary ankle arthrodesis because of avascular necrosis of the talus. Signs of necrosis appeared at 15 months and 24 months. Talar reimplantation should be attempted despite the risk of avascular necrosis: restoration of the talus in the ankle maintains normal hindfoot anatomy and preserves bone stock for future function or a subsequent surgical procedure. Patients should be informed of the risk of secondary surgery. Opened-dislocation seems to be a major risk factor of avascular necrosis, and surgeon must take care to keep soft tissues attached.

Distraction-free ankle arthroscopy for anterolateral impingement.

The origin of chronic pain after external ankle sprain is better known with arthroscopy's contribution. Chronic hypertrophic synovitis of the anterolateral ankle region is seemingly the cause, resulting in "anterolateral ankle impingement." But is partial synovectomy with fibrosis resection under arthroscopy always possible without any distraction? Are results affected? This retrospective study concerned only patients with soft tissue ankle impingement. All cases with bone and joint diseases were excluded. The final sample of 24 patients had a mean age of 35 years (21-54 years) and presented anterolateral mechanical pain associated with oedema following external ankle sprain. Medical and rehabilitative treatment was undertaken for more than 6 months before arthroscopy. Average time between trauma and arthroscopy was 21 months (5-60 months). Clinical examination revealed no ankle instability or laxity. Debridement with joint lavage was systematically performed under arthroscopy without any distraction. Average patient follow-up was 22 months (12-92 months). All patients had a good Kitaoka score, with 22 patients registering excellent results. There were no septic complications or algodystrophy. Two transient hypoesthesias were observed in the dorsal surface and lateral border of the foot with full postoperative recovery at 6 months. Distraction was never used and simple dorsiflexion was sufficient to perform arthroscopic debridement. In this study, anterolateral ankle impingement diagnosis was primarily clinical. Arthroscopic treatment yielded significant benefits on pain, oedema and resumption of sport activities. Arthroscopic treatment of anterolateral ankle impingements is thus possible with simple dorsiflexion and no distraction, resulting in a possible decrease in complication rates. Level of evidence Retrospective cohort study, Level IV.

Percutaneous suture of acute Achilles tendon rupture. A study of 60 cases.

Conservative treatment of Achilles tendon ruptures may lead to re-rupture. Open surgical repair entails a risk of skin necrosis or infection. Several percutaneous techniques have been used, such as Tenolig or Achillon, but these techniques are costly and may be marred by wound healing problems. Ma and Griffith described a technique for percutaneous repair which left the suture and the knot under the skin, thus reducing the risk for infection. From January 2001 to September 2006, we used this percutaneous treatment for 60 acute ruptures of tendo Achillis. The repair was made under local anaesthesia, using a single or double absorbable suture. Postoperative care was 3 weeks immobilistion in a non-weight bearing cast in equinus position, followed by another 3 weeks in a cast with the ankle at 90 degrees and progressive weight bearing. Mean followup was 19 months. Complications were 2 re-ruptures at 2 and 5 months respectively, 1 infection in a patient who presented with re-rupture after a previous surgical treatment, and 1 Achilles tendonitis. There was no sural nerve lesion. Mean time to return to working activities was 85 days; mean time to return to sports activities was 5 months. Clinical results were good with no loss in range of motion. This low-cost technique appeared as an interesting alternative to surgical or conservative treatment, providing strong repair with a low complication rate.