Abstract
Method
A questionnaire was given to delegates at the British Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (BOFAS) annual scientific meeting 3rd–5th November 2010. A total of 75 questionnaires were included within the analysis. The questionnaire asked delegates for their most commonly performed procedure for a variety of common foot and ankle conditions.
Results
Which procedure do you most commonly perform?
| Hallux valgus mild; | Chevron 60.0% |
| Scarf 28.0%. | |
| Hallux Valgus Moderate; | Scarf 85.3% |
| Chevron 12.0% | |
| Hallux Valgus Severe; | Scarf 65.3% |
| Basal Osteotomy 29.3% | |
| 1st MTPJ OA Fusion; | crossed screws 54.7% |
| Plate 26.7% | |
| Lesser toe Metatarsalgia; | Weil 48.6% |
| BRT 22.8% | |
| Hammer second toe; | PIPJ Fusion 62.7% |
| Oxford Procedure 15% | |
| Tib Post stage 1; | Debridement 60.0% |
| Conservative 24.0% | |
| Tib Post stage 2; | FDL Transfer 76.0% |
| Calc. osteotomy 78.7% | |
| Achilles tendon rupture | Open Repair 61.5% |
| Percutaneous 13.8% |
In delegates' normal practice they would fuse an osteoarthritic ankle 90% and perform a Total Ankle replacement 10% of the time. The method of fusion is split 50/50 between arthroscopic and open. Regarding the anaesthetic used for forefoot surgery most are using GA + Regional Block (mean 60%) only occasionally using regional anaesthesia alone (mean 8%)
Only 12.3% of delegates have tried minimally invasive [forefoot] surgery (MIS), 17.3% of delegates think they will do more MIS in the future.
The practice of British orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeons is broadly in line with an evidence-based approach. Knowledge of current practice may help trainees make sense of the myriad foot and ankle operations described in the literature.
