Aims. Identifying predictors of compartment syndrome in the foot after
a fracture of the calcaneus may lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment.
The aim of our study was to identify any such predictors. Patients and Methods. We retrospectively reviewed 303 patients (313 fractures) with
a fracture of the calcaneus who presented to us between October
2008 and September 2016. The presence of compartment syndrome and
potential predictors were identified by reviewing their medical
records. Potential predictors included age, gender, concomitant
foot injury, mechanism of injury, fracture classification, time
from injury to admission, underlying illness, use of anticoagulant/antiplatelet
agents, smoking status and occupation. Associations with predictors
were analyzed using
Patients with an acute Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) take a long
time to heal, have a high incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
and widely variable functional outcomes. This variation in outcome
may be explained by a lack of knowledge of adverse factors, and
a subsequent shortage of appropriate interventions. A total of 111 patients (95 men, 16 women; mean age 40.3, standard
deviation 8.4) with an acute total ATR were prospectively assessed.
At one year post-operatively a uniform outcome score, Achilles Combined
Outcome Score (ACOS), was obtained by combining three validated,
independent, outcome measures: Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score,
heel-rise height test, and limb symmetry heel-rise height. Predictors
of ACOS included treatment; gender; age; smoking; body mass index;
time to surgery; physical activity level pre- and post-injury; symptoms; quality
of life and incidence of DVT. Aims
Patients and Methods
Most of the literature on surgical site infections
following the surgical treatment of fractures of the ankle is based
on small series of patients, focusing on diabetics or the elderly.
None have described post-operative functional scores in those patients
who develop an infection. We performed an age- and gender-matched
case–control study to identify patient- and surgery-related risk
factors for surgical site infection following open reduction and
internal fixation of a fracture of the ankle. Logistic regression
analysis was used to identify significant risk factors for infection
and to calculate odds ratios (OR). Function was assessed using the
Olerud and Molander Ankle Score. The incidence of infection was
4% (29/717) and 1.1% (8/717) were deep infections. The median ankle
score was significantly lower in the infection group compared with
the control group (60 A low incidence of infection following open reduction and internal
fixation of fractures of the ankle was observed. Both superficial
and deep infections result in lower functional scores. Cite this article:
The aim of this study was to identify the incidence of post-operative symptomatic deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), as well as the risk factors for and location of DVT, in 665 patients (701 ankles) who underwent primary total ankle replacement. All patients received low-molecular-weight heparin prophylaxis. A total of 26 patients (3.9%, 26 ankles) had a symptomatic DVT, diagnosed by experienced radiologists using colour Doppler ultrasound. Most thrombi (22 patients, 84.6%) were localised distally in the operated limb. Using a logistic multiple regression model we identified obesity, a previous venous thromboembolic event and the absence of full post-operative weight-bearing as independent risk factors for developing a symptomatic DVT. The incidence of symptomatic DVT after total ankle replacement and use of low-molecular-weight heparin is comparable with that in patients undergoing total knee or hip replacement.
There are few data available regarding the association between hallux valgus and pain or functional limitation. We determined the prevalence of hallux valgus in a rural Korean population aged between 40 and 69 years, and its association with pain and function. A total of 563 subjects was examined using the foot health status questionnaire, the Short Form-36 questionnaire and weight-bearing anteroposterior radiographs. Hallux valgus was present in 364 subjects (64.7%). It did not significantly correlate with age and was more common in women. Of the 364 subjects, 48 (13.2%) had moderate or greater deformity, defined as a hallux valgus angle >
25°. This was significantly associated with pain, worse function and worse foot health. The putative risk factors associated with painful hallux valgus were female gender, low educational attainment and the presence of pain in the knee.