We report the outcomes of 20 patients (12 men, 8 women, 21 feet) with Charcot neuro-arthropathy who underwent correction of deformities of the ankle and hindfoot using retrograde intramedullary nail arthrodesis. The mean age of the patients was 62.6 years (46 to 83); their mean BMI was 32.7 (15 to 47) and their median American Society of Anaesthetists score was 3 (2 to 4). All presented with severe deformities and 15 had chronic ulceration. All were treated with reconstructive surgery and seven underwent simultaneous midfoot fusion using a bolt, locking plate or a combination of both. At a mean follow-up of 26 months (8 to 54), limb salvage was achieved in all patients and 12 patients (80%) with ulceration achieved healing and all but one patient regained independent mobilisation. There was failure of fixation with a broken nail requiring revision surgery in one patient. Migration of distal locking screws occurred only when standard screws had been used but not with hydroxyapatite-coated screws. The mean American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Foot and Ankle (AAOS-FAO) score improved from 50.7 (17 to 88) to 65.2 (22 to 88), (p = 0.015). The mean Short Form (SF)-36 Health Survey Physical Component Score improved from 25.2 (16.4 to 42.8) to 29.8 (17.7 to 44.2), (p = 0.003) and the mean Euroqol EQ‑5D‑5L score improved from 0.63 (0.51 to 0.78) to 0.67 (0.57 to 0.84), (p = 0.012).

Single-stage correction of deformity using an intramedullary hindfoot arthrodesis nail is a good form of treatment for patients with severe Charcot hindfoot deformity, ulceration and instability provided a multidisciplinary care plan is delivered.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:76–82.

Aims. Hindfoot arthrodesis with retrograde intramedullary nailing has been described as a surgical strategy to reconstruct deformities of the ankle and hindfoot in patients with Charcot arthropathy. This study presents case series of Charcot arthropathy patients treated with two different retrograde intramedullary straight compression nails in order to reconstruct the hindfoot and assess the results over a mid-term follow-up. Patients and Methods. We performed a retrospective analysis of 18 consecutive patients and 19 operated feet with Charcot arthropathy who underwent a hindfoot arthrodesis using a retrograde intramedullary compression nail. Patients were ten men and eight women with a mean age of 63.43 years (38.5 to 79.8). We report the rate of limb salvage, complications requiring additional surgery, and fusion rate in both groups. The mean duration of follow-up was 46.36 months (37 to 70). Results. The limb salvage rate was 16 of 19 limbs. Three patients had to undergo below-knee amputation due to persistent infection followed by osteomyelitis resistant to parenteral antibiotic therapy and repeated debridement. Complications including infection, hardware removal, nonunion, and persistent ulcers requiring further intervention were also observed. Postoperative functional scores revealed significant improvement compared with preoperative scores on American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) – Hindfoot scale, Foot Function Index (FFI), visual analogue scale (VAS), and Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS). Conclusion. The use of retrograde intramedullary compression nail results in good rates of limb salvage when used for hindfoot reconstruction in patients with Charcot arthropathy. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:190–6

Aims

The aim of this study was to present a series of patients with aseptic failure of a total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) who were treated with fusion of the hindfoot using a nail.

Locked plates confer angular stability across fusion sites, and as such are more rigid than either screws or intramedullary nails. This gives the advantage of reducing motion to enhance union rates and potentially allowing early weight bearing. The Philos plate (Synthes) is a contoured locking plate designed to fix humeral fractures but which also fits the shape of the hindfoot and provides strong low profile fixation. Its successful use for tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) arthrodesis has been reported. Our aim was to prospectively evaluate the use of the Philos plate in hindfoot arthrodesis Twenty-one hindfoot arthrodeses were performed using the Philos plate between Oct 2008 and Jan 2010. Patients were followed up for a minimum of 1 year and had preoperative and 6 monthly AOFAS hindfoot scores and serial radiographs until union. Overall there were 15 ankle fusions, 5 tibiotalocalcaneal fusions and 1 subtalar fusion. At 6 months there were 13 unions and 9 non-unions (4 ankle, 5 TTC) giving a non-union rate of 38% overall and 25% for ankle fusions in isolation. Mean AOFAS scores at 6 months were 74/100 for the union group and 47 for non-unions (chi squared p < 0.001). No patient in the non-union group went on to fuse within a year without further surgery. Both groups had similar case mixes including osteoarthritis, AVN of the talus and failed arthroplasty. They also had similar co-morbidities, rates of smokers and bone grafting. Our conclusion is that the high non-union rates are probably due to the lack of compression conferred across the join by the Philos plate as there is no compression hole and we did not supplement the fixation with a lag screw. We recommend using locked plates for hindfoot arthrodesis only with additional compression

Introduction:. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the specific radiographic effects that the Cotton osteotomy confers when used in combination with other reconstructive procedures in the management of the flexible flat foot deformity. Methods:. Between 2002–2013, 198 Cotton osteotomies were retrospectively identified following IRB approval. 131 were excluded on the basis of ipsilateral mid/hindfoot arthrodesis, inadequate radiographs or being less than 18yrs old at time of surgery. Parameters including the articular surface angles of the hindfoot/forefoot, Meary's angle and a newly defined Medial Arch Sag Angle (MASA) were recorded. A matched group of patients who did not undergo a Cotton osteotomy but who underwent similar hindfoot reconstructive procedures served as historic controls. Results:. 67 Cotton osteotomies in 59 patients with a mean age of 45 years (range, 18–80) were evaluated. Concomitant procedures included combinations of tibialis posterior tendon (PTT) reconstruction, Evans lateral column lengthening, medial displacement calcaneal osteotomy (MDCO). In all patients who underwent a Cotton osteotomy, there were statistically significant improvements in the articular surface angles along the medial side of the foot (p < 0.05). Improvement in arch height was also found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). In comparison to matched controls, the Cotton osteotomy did not improve Meary's angle but provided an additional 11.21° of MASA correction (p < 0.05) when used in in conjunction with the Evans procedure and PTT reconstruction. A similar trend was seen with MDCO and PTT reconstruction. Discussion:. This study confirms the Cotton osteotomy is a powerful surgical adjunct in flatfoot reconstruction and quantifies the additional 11.21° of MASA correction it provides when the Cotton osteotomy is added to a calcaneal osteotomy and PTT reconstruction. This has relevance as an alternative for selection of a medial column stabilization procedure, which is joint sparing

Aims

Surgical reconstruction of deformed Charcot feet carries a high risk of nonunion, metalwork failure, and deformity recurrence. The primary aim of this study was to identify the factors contributing to these complications following hindfoot Charcot reconstructions.

Aims

To assess the effect of age on clinical outcome and revision rates in patients who underwent total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) for end-stage ankle osteoarthritis (OA).

Aims

This retrospective cohort study compared the results of vascularised and non-vascularised anterior sliding tibial grafts for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA)of the ankle secondary to osteonecrosis of the talus.

Talonavicular and subtalar joint fusion through a medial incision (modified triple arthrodesis) has become an increasingly popular technique for treating symptomatic flatfoot deformity caused by posterior tibial tendon dysfunction.

The purpose of this study was to look at its clinical and radiological mid- to long-term outcomes, including the rates of recurrent flatfoot deformity, nonunion and avascular necrosis of the dome of the talus.

A total of 84 patients (96 feet) with a symptomatic rigid flatfoot deformity caused by posterior tibial tendon dysfunction were treated using a modified triple arthrodesis. The mean age of the patients was 66 years (35 to 85) and the mean follow-up was 4.7 years (1 to 8.3). Both clinical and radiological outcomes were analysed retrospectively.

In 86 of the 95 feet (90.5%) for which radiographs were available, there was no loss of correction at final follow-up. In all, 14 feet (14.7%) needed secondary surgery, six for nonunion, two for avascular necrosis, five for progression of the flatfoot deformity and tibiotalar arthritis and one because of symptomatic overcorrection. The mean American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Hindfoot score (AOFAS score) at final follow-up was 67 (between 16 and 100) and the mean visual analogue score for pain 2.4 points (between 0 and 10).

In conclusion, modified triple arthrodesis provides reliable correction of deformity and a good clinical outcome at mid- to long-term follow-up, with nonunion as the most frequent complication. Avascular necrosis of the talus is a rare but serious complication of this technique.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015; 97-B:668–74.

Diagnostic and operative codes are routinely collected for every patient admitted to hospital in the English NHS. Data on post-operative complications following foot and ankle surgery have not previously been available in large numbers. Data on symptomatic venous thromboembolism events and mortality within 90 days were extracted for patients undergoing fixation of an ankle fracture, first metatarsal osteotomy, hindfoot fusions and total ankle replacement over a period of 42 months. For ankle fracture surgery (45 949 patients), the rates of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism and mortality were 0.12%, 0.17% and 0.37%, respectively. For first metatarsal osteotomy (33 626 patients), DVT, pulmonary embolism and mortality rates were 0.01%, 0.02% and 0.04%, and for hindfoot fusions (7033 patients) the rates were 0.03%, 0.11% and 0.11%, respectively. The rate of pulmonary embolism in 1633 total ankle replacement patients was 0.06%, and there were no recorded DVTs and no deaths. Statistical analysis could only identify risk factors for venous thromboembolic events of increasing age and multiple comorbidities following fracture surgery.

Venous thromboembolism following foot and ankle surgery is extremely rare, but this subset of fracture patients is at a higher risk. However, there is no evidence that thromboprophylaxis reduces this risk, and these national data suggest that prophylaxis is not required in most of these patients.