As arthroplasty demand grows worldwide, the need for a novel cost-effective treatment option for articular cartilage (AC) defects tailored to individual patients has never been greater. 3D bioprinting can deposit patient cells and other biomaterials in user-defined patterns to build tissue constructs from the “bottom-up,” potentially offering a new treatment for AC defects. Novel composite bioinks were created by mixing different ratios of methacrylated alginate (AlgMA) with methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) and collagen. Chondrocytes and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were then encapsulated in the bioinks and 3D bioprinted using a custom-built extrusion bioprinter. UV and double-ionic (BaCl2 and CaCl2) crosslinking was deployed following bioprinting to strengthen bioink stability in culture. Chondrocyte and MSC spheroids were also bioprinted to accelerate cell growth and development of ECM in bioprinted constructs. Excellent viability of chondrocytes and MSCs was seen following bioprinting (>95%) and maintained in culture, with accelerated cell growth seen with inclusion of cell spheroids in bioinks (p<0.05). Bioprinted 10mm diameter constructs maintained shape in culture over 28 days, whilst construct degradation rates and mechanical properties were improved with addition of AlgMA (p<0.05). Composite bioinks were also injected into in vitro osteochondral defects and crosslinked in situ, with maintained cell viability and repair of osteochondral defects seen over a 14-day period. In conclusion, we developed novel composite bioinks that can be triple-crosslinked, facilitating successful chondrocyte and MSC growth in 3D bioprinted scaffolds and in vitro repair of an osteochondral defect model. This offers hope for a new approach to treating AC defects

Aims. The aim of this study was to develop a psychometrically sound measure of recovery for use in patients who have suffered an open tibial fracture. Methods. An initial pool of 109 items was generated from previous qualitative data relating to recovery following an open tibial fracture. These items were field tested in a cohort of patients recovering from an open tibial fracture. They were asked to comment on the content of the items and structure of the scale. Reduction in the number of items led to a refined scale tested in a larger cohort of patients. Principal components analysis permitted further reduction and the development of a definitive scale. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and responsiveness were assessed for the retained items. Results. The initial scale was completed by 35 patients who were recovering from an open tibial fracture. Subjective and objective analysis permitted removal of poorly performing items and the addition of items suggested by patients. The refined scale consisted of 50 Likert scaled items and eight additional items. It was completed on 228 occasions by a different cohort of 204 patients with an open tibial fracture recruited from several UK orthoplastic tertiary referral centres. There were eight underlying components with tangible real-life meaning, which were retained as sub-scales represented by ten Likert scaled and eight non-Likert items. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were good to excellent. Conclusion. The Wales Lower Limb Trauma Recovery (WaLLTR) Scale is the first tool to be developed from patient data with the potential to assess recovery following an open tibial fracture. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(1):17–25

Aims

Frailty greatly increases the risk of adverse outcome of trauma in older people. Frailty detection tools appear to be unsuitable for use in traumatically injured older patients. We therefore aimed to develop a method for detecting frailty in older people sustaining trauma using routinely collected clinical data.

Background. Several risk factors for the development of osteonecrosis following treatment of developmental dislocated hip have been reported. The need for further research with a large-enough sample size including statistical adjustment of confounders was demanded. The purpose of the present study was to find reliable predictors of osteonecrosis in patients managed for developmental dislocation of the hip. Methods. A retrospective cohort study of children, who have been hospitalized at our department between January 1998 and February 2007 with a developmental dislocation of the hip, was completed. Sixty-four patients satisfied the criteria for inclusion. Three groups according to age and treatment were identified. Group A and B included patients treated with closed or open reductions aged less than twelve months. Patients of group C were past walking age at the time of reduction and were treated by open reduction combined with concomitant pelvic and femoral osteotomies. The average duration of follow-up for all patients was 6.8 years. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify predictors for the development of osteonecrosis. Results. The overall rate of osteonecrosis in group A and B was 27.4% compared to 88.2% in patients of group C. After pooling of all data, no protective effect of the ossific nucleus of the femoral head on the development of osteonecrosis was found (p = 0.14). Additionally, an increase of surgical procedures in children of group C could not be demonstrated (p = 0.17). By using logistic regression analysis the type of reduction and secondary reconstructive procedure due to residual acetabular dysplasia could be identified as predictors for the development of osteonecrosis. Conclusions. Open reduction combined with concomitant osteotomies and secondary reconstructive interventions due to residual acetabular dysplasia increase the risk for osteonecrosis in the treatment of the developmental dislocated hip. Therefore, we advocate early reduction of the dislocated hip in the first year of life to avoid the need for concomitant osteotomies combined with open reduction. Level of Evidence. Prognostic study, level II-1 (retrospective study)

Introduction. In knee arthroplasty a ceramic component has several advantages: first, there is no ion release implying a risk for potential allergies. Second, the hardness of the material leads to a scratch resistance which ultimately reduces PE wear over time. In the past, ceramic components in knee applications were limited in the variety of design possibilities due to necessary thickness of the component resulting from the associated fracture risk of ceramics. By the development of an alumina matrix composite material with increased mechanical properties it is possible to develop ceramic knee components which have nearly the same design as a metal component and use the same implantation technique as well as the same instruments. This offers the surgeon the opportunity to choose intraoperatively between metal or ceramic knee components. Extensive in-vitro testing shows that ceramic knee components achieve superior mechanical test results. The reliability of the components is proven by two different burst tests and a fatigue test for both a femoral and a tibial ceramic knee component. Material and method. The mechanical proof-test was developed by subsequent steps of numerical load/stress analysis and design of an adequate mechanical test equipment. The procedure was organized as follows:. Oncologic: Analysis of relevant maximum in-vivo loading conditions. Analysis of the “boundary conditions”. Finite Element analysis: Identifying regions of highest stress concentration. Design analysis and accommodation if necessary. Development of an adequate mechanical test equipment which produces stresses comparable to the in-vivo conditions. Performing mechanical tests with ceramic femoral components. Validation of the test concept: comparison of test results and stress analysis. Assign “safety margin”,. Establish “proof test”. Results. Two independent load scenarios have been determined for each type of components as being in-vivo relevant. Hence, the developed proof-test consists of two subsequent load tests, the so-called regular test and the tension test for the femoral components, and the upper side test and the lower side test for the tibial components. In the regular test, the mechanical strength of the polished outer condyles is tested using a force which is equivalent to an in-vivo loading of 16 times bodyweight. In the tension test, the interior sides of the condyles are stressed in the sagittal plane ensuring a mechanically reliable implantation. This test is performed with a force equivalent to 10 times bodyweight. Discussion. The procedure to determine the proof loads using the maximum in-vivo loads together with a safety factor ensures the mechanical safety of the ceramic knee component. Together with the well-known excellent wear and biological behaviour of ceramics, this application provides an alternative to common metallic knee components. Clinical observations in the framework of a multi-centre study in different European countries have been started and show very promising results

Aim To develop a militarily relevant complex extremity wounding model. Study Design Controlled laboratory study with New Zealand White Rabbits. Method Phase One: Injury Development. Under general anaesthesia, the flexor carpi ulnaris of the right forelimb was exposed and high energy, short duration impact delivered via drop test rig. Anaesthesia was maintained for three hours, the animal was recovered and saline soaked gauze and supportive bandaging applied. 48 hrs later, the animal was culled and muscle harvested for histological analysis. Analgesia was administered daily, animals checked by experienced staff at least twice daily and temperatures recorded by subcutaneous transponder. Phase Two: Contamination. Sequential groups of animals had inoculums of 1×102, 1×106 and 1×108/100μl of Staphylococcus aureus administered to the muscle immediately after injury. Animals were recovered as phase one. At 48 hours, animals were culled, muscle harvested and axillary lymph nodes sampled. Quantitative microbiological analysis was performed on the muscle. Results: Six animals given a loading of 0.5kg yielded consistent injury with 20% of the muscle becoming necrotic. Representative of injury from ballistic trauma, this was adopted as standard. Twenty-two subsequent animals were exposed to the injury and inoculated with the challenge doses. 1×106/100μl S.aureus provided the greatest consistency in recovered yield. There were no adverse effects on animal welfare and body temperatures were always within normal limits. Discussion. This model enables a consistent, contaminated soft tissue injury to be delivered in vivo. It will allow the investigation of complex wound management including wound coverage and fracture fixation

Introduction. Total leg muscle function in hip OA patients is not well studied. We used a test-retest protocol to evaluate the reproducibility of single- and multi-joint peak muscle torque and rapid torque development in a group of 40–65 yr old hip patients. Both peak torque and torque development are outcome measures associated with functional performance during activities of daily living. Material and Methods. Patients: Twenty patients (age 55.5±3.3, BMI 27.6±4.8) who underwent total hip arthroplasty participated in this study. Reliability: We used the intra-class correlation (ICC) and within subject coefficients of variation (CVws) to evaluate reliability. Agreement: Relative Bland-Altman 95% limits of agreements (LOA) and smallest detectable difference (SDD) were calculated and used for evaluation of measurement accuracy. Parameters: Maximal muscle strength (peak torque, Nm) and rate of torque development (Nm•sec-1) for affected (AF) and non-affected (NA) side were measured during unilateral knee extension-flexion (seated), hip extension-flexion, and hip adduction-abduction (standing), respectively. Contractile RTD100, 200, peak was derived as the average slope of the torque-time curve (torque/time) at 0–100, 0–200 and 0 peak relative to onset of contraction. Protocol: After 5 min level walking at self-selected and maximum speeds each muscle group was tested using 1–2 sub-maximal contraction efforts followed by 3 maximal contractions 4s duration. Statistics: The variance components were estimated using STATA12, with muscle function and occasion as independent variable and patients as random factor, using the restricted maximum likelihood method (=0.05). Results. For all exercises and sides, the ICC's for peak torque were good (0.81–0.96) with CVws ranging from 5.0–10.8%. Similar good ICC's were observed for RTD200 on the non-affected side (0.83–0.93), whereas most exercises (4/6) on the affected side showed moderate to good ICC (0.72–0.82). We found moderate CVws for RTD200 with 12.8–18.7% and 10.3–18.9%, affected and non-affected, respectively. With few exceptions the ICC's and CVws for RTD100 were moderate to poor on the affected side but good to moderate on the non-affected side. The SDD's for peak torque ranged from 14.9 Nm to 39.0 Nm, equal to relative LOA of 13.9–23.8%. For RTD200, the SDD's were 77–257 Nm•sec-1 and 29.2–86.2%, absolute and relative, respectively. With few exceptions interventions measuring RTD100 and RTDpeak would have to find changes exceeding 60% for them to be statistical significant. Conclusions. Our novel set-up for lower limb isometric muscle testing showed overall good reproducibility for peak torque, moderate for RTD200, while poor for RTD100 and RTDpeak. The results for peak torque and RTD200 are promising for defining relevant changes in muscle function in future longitudinal clinical trials in this patient group

We studied prospectively the regional inflammatory response to a unilateral distal radial fracture in 114 patients at eight to nine weeks after injury and again at one year. Our aim was to identify patients at risk for a delayed recovery and particularly those likely to develop complex regional pain syndrome. In order to quantify clinically the inflammatory response, a regional inflammatory score was developed. In addition, blood samples were collected from the antecubital veins of both arms for comparative biochemical and blood-gas analysis. The severity of the inflammatory response was related to the type of treatment (Kruskal-Wallis test, p = 0.002). A highly significantly-positive correlation was found between the regional inflammatory score and the length of time to full recovery (r. 2. = 0.92, p = 0.01, linear regession). A regional inflammatory score of 5 points with a sensitivity of 100% but a specificity of only 16% also identified patients at risk of complex regional pain syndrome. None of the biochemical parameters studied correlated with regional inflammatory score or predicted the development of complex regional pain syndrome. Our study suggests that patients with a distal radial fracture and a regional inflammatory score of 5 points or more at eight to nine weeks after injury should be considered for specific anti-inflammatory treatment

Introduction and aim. Avascular necrosis (AVN) of femoral head remains a major post-operative complication of the surgical fixation of femoral neck fractures (#NOF). In order to reduce the incidence of AVN following this type of fracture, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has stated that fixation must occur within 6 hours. However, there is a paucity of information concerning whether time to fixation influences the development of AVN. The aim of the present study was to assess whether time to fixation affects the development of AVN in patients aged under 60 who had sustained a fracture (#)NOF. Methods. We looked retrospectively at 101 patients (61 female, 40 male aged under 60 (mean age 47 years) who were admitted to a multi-tertiary centre having sustained an intracapsular #NOF. The underlying co morbidity of the patient sample was varied, as was the mechanism of trauma, though in the majority of cases the cause was a simple fall. The time delay (TD) between the time of injury and the time of operation for each patient was determined. Results. 72 patients sustained an intracapsular displaced fracture and 29 an intracapsular undisplaced fracture. Of these, 33 patients were treated with a dynamic hip screw (DHS), 10 received a DHS plus a cannulated screw, and 54 were treated with cannulated screws only. We looked at time to fixation(TD) as follows: Group A-less than 6 hours (7 patients), Group B-6 to 12 hours (16 patients), Group C-12 to 18 hours (15 patients), Group D-18 to 24 hours (18 patients), Group E −24 to 48 hours (26 patients) and Group F- more than 48 hours(15 patients). Out of 97 patients, 15 (15.46%) developed AVN. Of these, 13 were patients who had sustained an intracapsular displaced fracture, two had sustained an undisplaced fracture. Of the intracapsular displaced fractures patients, the time to fixation varied from 3 hours to 26 hours post-trauma. Of note, twelve of these patients received a cannulated screw and only one was treated with a DHS. The two patients with an undisplaced intracapsular fracture underwent fixation at 13 and 24 hours respectively. The method of fixation was a cannulated screw. Conclusion. Current NICE guidelines state that intracapsular #NOF must be fixed within 6 hours in order to prevent AVN of femoral head. In our sample, 15.46% of patients developed AVN post-fixation. Crucially, 2 patients out of the 7 patients (28.57%) developed AVN despite undergoing fixation within 6 hours. Interestingly, we have observed that fracture fixation with a cannulated screw has a greater propensity to develop AVN despite time to fixation, since 15.46% of patients treated in this manner developed AVN. Taken together, method of fixation rather than time to fixation appears to be a key factor in the incidence of AVN in our patient group

Introduction

Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) are used as outcome of many surgical treatments such as Hip and knee joint replacements, varicose vein and groin hernia surgery. Outcome scores in orthopaedics tend to be site and/or pathology specific. Trauma related pathology uses a surrogate outcome scores. A unified outcome score for trauma is needed to help with the measurement of outcomes in trauma patients and evaluate the actual impact that trauma inflicts to patients' lives.

Objectives

Small animal models of fracture repair primarily investigate indirect fracture healing via external callus formation. We present the first described rat model of direct fracture healing.

Introduction

Segmental bone defect is a challenging problem. We report our experience of bone transport by hexapod external fixator in patients with segmental defects if the tibia.

It is becoming increasingly common for a patient to have ipsilateral hip and knee replacements. The inter-prosthetic (IP) distance, the distance between the tips of hip and knee prostheses, has been thought to be associated with an increased risk of IP fracture. Small gap distances are generally assumed to act as stress risers, although there is no real biomechanical evidence to support this.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of IP distance, cortical thickness and bone mineral density on the likelihood of an IP femoral fracture.

A total of 18 human femur specimens were randomised into three groups by bone density and cortical thickness. For each group, a defined IP distance of 35 mm, 80 mm or 160 mm was created by choosing the appropriate lengths of component. The maximum fracture strength was determined using a four-point bending test.

The fracture force of all three groups was similar (p = 0.498). There was a highly significant correlation between the cortical area and the fracture strength (r = 0.804, p <  0.001), whereas bone density showed no influence.

This study suggests that the IP distance has little influence on fracture strength in IP femoral fractures: the thickness of the cortex seems to be the decisive factor.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:1378–84.

Our unpublished data has indicated that the perivascular stem cells (PSCs) have increased chondrogenic potential compared to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived in culture. There has been a recent change in the theory that stem cells work by a paracrine effect rather than differentiation. There are minimal data demonstrating the persistence of implanted stem cells when used for engraftment. This study aimed to develop an autologous large animal model for perivascular stem cells as well as to determine if cells were retained in the articular cartilage defects.

The reactivity of anti-human and anti-ovine antibodies was ascertained using immunohistochemistry and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). A panel of antibodies were combined and used to identify and purify pericytes (CD34-CD45-CD146+) and adventitial cells (CD34+CD45-CD146-) using FACS. The purified cells were cultured and their identity checked using FACS. These cultured cells demonstrated osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic potential.

Autologous ovine PSCs (oPSCs) were isolated, cultured and transfected using a GFP virus. The transfection rate was 88%. The cells were implanted into an articular cartilage defect on the medial femoral condyle using a hydrogel, four weeks following implantation the condyle was explanted and confocal laser scanning microscopy demonstrated the presence of oPSCs in the defect. Histology did not demonstrate any repair tissue at this early time point.

These data have confirmed the viability our large animal model and that the implanted stem cells were retained in the defect four weeks following implantation.

Bone shape variability within a specific population has been seldom investigated and used to optimize implant design. There is insufficient anatomical fitting of the existing prebend periarticular plates for the distal fibula. We developed a methodology for design of orthopaedic implants that fit a maximum percentage of the target population, both in terms of geometry and biomechanical stability. In co-operation with an implant manufacturer and different academic institutions, a virtual bone database has been developed that contains anatomical data of more than 1000 CT datasets with the implemented possibility to generate idealized implant fits for different anatomical sites. This program (Stryker Virtual Bone Database (VBD) is able to generate statistical anatomical shapes for different populations like age groups or ethnical groups. Based on this, an implant for the distal fibula has been developed (VariAx Distal Lateral Fibula Locking Plate) for distal fibula fracture treatment. Aim of this study was to develop and validate an implant that is optimized for the specific anatomical area. It should be precontoured and still fit to the majority of patients sustaining a distal fibular fracture. Another objective was to create a distally tapered design as there is less soft tissue cover in that anatomic area.

Aims. Several previously identified patient-, injury-, and treatment-related factors are associated with the development of nonunion in distal femur fractures. However, the predictive value of these factors is not well defined. We aimed to assess the predictive ability of previously identified risk factors in the development of nonunion leading to secondary surgery in distal femur fractures. Methods. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with traumatic distal femur fracture treated with lateral locking plate between 2009 and 2018. The patients who underwent secondary surgery due to fracture healing problem or plate failure were considered having nonunion. Background knowledge of risk factors of distal femur fracture nonunion based on previous literature was used to form an initial set of variables. A logistic regression model was used with previously identified patient- and injury-related variables (age, sex, BMI, diabetes, smoking, periprosthetic fracture, open fracture, trauma energy, fracture zone length, fracture comminution, medial side comminution) in the first analysis and with treatment-related variables (different surgeon-controlled factors, e.g. plate length, screw placement, and proximal fixation) in the second analysis to predict the nonunion leading to secondary surgery in distal femur fractures. Results. We were able to include 299 fractures in 291 patients. Altogether, 31/299 fractures (10%) developed nonunion. In the first analysis, pseudo-R. 2. was 0.27 and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.81. BMI was the most important variable in the prediction. In the second analysis, pseudo-R. 2. was 0.06 and AUC was 0.67. Plate length was the most important variable in the prediction. Conclusion. The model including patient- and injury-related factors had moderate fit and predictive ability in the prediction of distal femur fracture nonunion leading to secondary surgery. BMI was the most important variable in prediction of nonunion. Surgeon-controlled factors had a minor role in prediction of nonunion. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(8):584–593

Aims. The aim of this study was to perform the first population-based description of the epidemiological and health economic burden of fracture-related infection (FRI). Methods. This is a retrospective cohort study of operatively managed orthopaedic trauma patients from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2016, performed in Queensland, Australia. Record linkage was used to develop a person-centric, population-based dataset incorporating routinely collected administrative, clinical, and health economic information. The FRI group consisted of patients with International Classification of Disease 10th Revision diagnosis codes for deep infection associated with an implanted device within two years following surgery, while all others were deemed not infected. Demographic and clinical variables, as well as healthcare utilization costs, were compared. Results. There were 111,402 patients operatively managed for orthopaedic trauma, with 2,775 of these (2.5%) complicated by FRI. The development of FRI had a statistically significant association with older age, male sex, residing in rural/remote areas, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background, lower socioeconomic status, road traffic accident, work-related injuries, open fractures, anatomical region (lower limb, spine, pelvis), high injury severity, requiring soft-tissue coverage, and medical comorbidities (univariate analysis). Patients with FRI had an eight-times longer median inpatient length of stay (24 days vs 3 days), and a 2.8-times higher mean estimated inpatient hospitalization cost (AU$56,565 vs AU$19,773) compared with uninfected patients. The total estimated inpatient cost of the FRI cohort to the healthcare system was AU$156.9 million over the ten-year period. Conclusion. The results of this study advocate for improvements in trauma care and infection management, address social determinants of health, and highlight the upside potential to improve prevention and treatment strategies. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(1):77–85

Aims. The aim of this study was to describe services available to patients with periprosthetic femoral fracture (PPFF) in England and Wales, with focus on variation between centres and areas for care improvement. Methods. This work used data freely available from the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) facilities survey in 2021, which asked 21 questions about the care of patients with PPFFs, and nine relating to clinical decision-making around a hypothetical case. Results. Of 174 centres contributing data to the NHFD, 161 provided full responses and 139 submitted data on PPFF. Lack of resources was cited as the main reason for not submitting data. Surgeon (44.6%) and theatre (29.7%) availability were reported as the primary reasons for surgical delay beyond 36 hours. Less than half had a formal process for a specialist surgeon to operate on PPFF at least every other day. The median number of specialist surgeons at each centre was four (interquartile range (IQR) 3 to 6) for PPFF around both hips and knees. Around one-third of centres reported having one dedicated theatre list per week. The routine discussion of patients with PPFF at local and regional multidisciplinary team meetings was lower than that for all-cause revision arthroplasties. Six centres reported transferring all patients with PPFF around a hip joint to another centre for surgery, and this was an occasional practice for a further 34. The management of the hypothetical clinical scenario was varied, with 75 centres proposing ORIF, 35 suggested revision surgery and 48 proposed a combination of both revision and fixation. Conclusion. There is considerable variation in both the organization of PPFF services England and Wales, and in the approach taken to an individual case. The rising incidence of PPFF and complexity of these patients highlight the need for pathway development. The adoption of networks may reduce variability and improve outcomes for patients with PPFF. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(5):378–384

Aims. The aim of this study was to compare the functional and radiological outcomes and the complication rate after nail and plate fixation of unstable fractures of the ankle in elderly patients. Methods. In this multicentre study, 120 patients aged ≥ 60 years with an acute unstable AO/OTA type 44-B fracture of the ankle were randomized to fixation with either a nail or a plate and followed for 24 months after surgery. The primary outcome measure was the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot score. Secondary outcome measures were the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire, the Olerud and Molander Ankle score, the EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire, a visual analogue score for pain, complications, the quality of reduction of the fracture, nonunion, and the development of osteoarthritis. Results. At 24 months, the median AOFAS score was equivalent in the two groups (nail 90 (interquartile range (IQR) 82 to 100), plate 95 (IQR 87 to 100), p = 0.478). There were statistically more complications and secondary operations after nail than plate fixation (p = 0.024 and p = 0.028, respectively). There were no other significant differences in the outcomes between the two groups. Conclusion. The functional outcome after nail and plate fixation was equivalent; however, the complication rate and number of secondary operations was significantly higher after nail fixation. These results suggest that plate fixation should usually be the treatment of choice for unstable ankle fractures in the elderly. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(1):72–81

Midfoot arthrodesis is the conventional surgical intervention for midfoot arthritis. Arthrodesis aims to stabilise, realign and fuse the affected joints, providing patients with improved pain and function. Current research neglects the measurement of patient reported outcomes. This study aimed to investigate objective, and patient reported outcomes of midfoot arthrodesis. The secondary aim was to identify variables predicting the development of non-union. An automated search of online patient records identified 108 eligible patients (117 feet). The rates of union, re-operations, and complications were calculated using radiographs and medical records. Logistic regression was used to model variables influencing the odds of non-union. All living patients were posted a Manchester Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOx-FQ), a patient reported outcome assessment. Pre-operative MOx-FQ results were available in a minority of cases. Students t-test was used to compare pre- and post-operative MOx-FQ scores. The rate of union achieved was 74%. The rate of re-operations was 35%. The rate of complications was 14%. Bone grafts and staple fixation independently impacted the odds of non-union. Bone grafts decreased the odds of non-union, whilst staple fixation increased the odds. This finding agrees with the opinion of other researchers. We recommend the use of bone grafts, and the avoidance of fixation with staples. Previous attempts have been made to assess patient outcomes. However, this study is the first to use the MOx-FQ, a validated questionnaire. Therefore, this study establishes a baseline for improvements in patient reported outcomes