Plate Fixation of Metatarsal Shaft and Neck fractures has high union rates and low rates of hardware removal

Category: Midfoot/Forefoot, Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Despite large numbers of traumatic 1st,2nd,3 rd, and 4th (1-4 MT) metatarsal shaft and neck fractures, there have be very few outcome studies related to their treatment. K- wire fixation of metatarsal fractures has been shown to lead to poor outcomes when residual displacement and angulation occurs. In order to maintain anatomic alignment, some surgeons use plates for fixation of metatarsal fractures. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the healing rates, fracture angulation and need for hardware removal of operatively treated 1-4 MT shaft and neck fractures with plate fixation. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we reviewed the medical records of all metatarsal fractures at our institution from October 1, 2006 – December 31, 2014 to identify all 1-4 MT shaft and neck fractures. All tarsometatarsal joint factures, isolated 5th metatarsal fractures, fractures treated at outside facilities, skeletally immature patients and fractures treated non operatively were excluded. Final available x-rays with a minimum of one year follow-up from the date of surgery were reviewed. Medical records and x-rays were reviewed for evidence of union, sagittal and coronal fracture angulation (degrees), time to full weight bearing, plate size, fracture location (neck vs shaft) and number of screws on each side of the fracture. Patients were also called to see if the plates were bothersome, if the plates had been removed, or if they desired to have the plate removed. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to make calculations of statistical significance. Results: 45 patients with 75 metatarsal fractures treated with plate fixation were included. All fractures went to union and full weight bearing. Average time to union and full weight bearing was 10.9 and 7.5 weeks respectively. The average coronal and sagittal plane angulation was 3.9 degrees and 2.2 degrees. No demographic variable showed statistical significance with regards to sagittal and coronal angulation. Fractures located in the neck were found to have higher coronal plane angulation malunion compared to fractures in the shaft (P=0.019). No variable was related to final sagittal plane angulation. 28/45 patients responded to our telephone interview with an average follow-up of 4.4 years. 10 stated the plate bothered them. No plates had been removed and 27/28 patients did not want the plate removed. Conclusion: Metatarsal fractures fixed with plates show high rates of union and low final fracture angulation. Patients did not report symptomatic hardware and did not desire to have plates removed. No patient included in this study underwent hardware removal

Total Ankle Arthroplasty

Category: Ankle, Ankle Arthritis Introduction/Purpose: The number of total ankle arthroplasties (TAA) performed in the United States has risen significantly in recent years. Additionally, utilization of an orthopaedic specialty hospital (OSH) to treat healthy patients undergoing elective surgery is becoming more common. The effect of OSH utilization on post-operative outcomes following TAA has yet to be investigated. The purpose of this study is to compare post-operative outcomes following TAA at an OSH when compared to a matching population of patients undergoing TAA at an academic teaching hospital (ATH). Methods: We identified all primary, atraumatic TAA from January 2014 to December 2014 at the OSH and January 2010 to January 2016 at the ATH. Each OSH patient was manually matched to a corresponding ATH patient by clinical variables (age adjusted Charlson comorbidity index [AACCI], 17 individual comorbidity categories, and body mass index [BMI] and demographic variable (age, gender, and insurance type). Matching was performed in a blinded fashion to outcomes. Outcomes analyzed were LOS, 30-day readmissions, mortality, reoperation, and inpatient rehabilitation utilization. Results: There were 40 TAA patients in each group. OSH and ATH patients were similar in age (66.7 versus 66.8 yo, p=0.95), BMI (both 28.4, p=1.00), age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index (both 3.3, p=1.00), and gender (both 45.0% male, p=1.00). Average LOS for TAA at the OSH was 1.28+/-0.51 compared to 2.03+/-0.89 (p<0.001) at the ATH. No OSH patients were readmitted within 30 days, compared to 2 ATH (5.0%; p=0.15). Two OSH patients (5.0%) and two ATH patients (5.0%; p=1.00) required reoperation. There were no mortalities in either group. No OSH patients utilized inpatient rehabilitation compared to 3 ATH patients (7.5%; p=0.078). When excluding patients utilizing inpatient rehabilitation, patients at the OSH still demonstrated significantly lower LOS (1.28+/-0.51 vs 1.81+/-0.69 days; p<0.001). No OSH patients required transfer. Conclusion: Primary TAA performed at an OSH had significantly shorter LOS when compared to a matched patient treated at an ATH with no significant difference in readmission or reoperation rates. Additionally, patients who had their procedure performed at an OSH utilized inpatient rehabilitation less frequently than those at an ATH. This study suggests that performing TAA at an OSH offers a potential source of significant healthcare savings

A Supine Achilles Tendon Repair Decreases Total Operating Room and Anesthesia Time Without Sacrificing Outcomes

Category: Ankle, Sports, Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Achilles tendon repairs have traditionally been performed using a prone position. Prone positioning gives the surgeon easy visualization of the tendon, but may not offer the safest position for anesthesia and requires more peri-operative positioning time. We propose that the use of a supine position for primary Achilles tendon repairs offers similar surgical times, while saving non-surgical operating room time during positioning and anesthesia set-up. Methods: A retrospective review of primary Achilles tendon repairs done at our institution’s surgical sites between March of 2010 and July of 2015 was performed. Using the institutional database, 145 procedures were identified. Chart review demonstrated that 82 were performed open-supine (OS), 31 were performed open-prone(OP), and 32 were performed percutaneous-prone(PP). Surgical, non-surgical, and total operating room times were compared between the three groups. Results: Average surgical times were 32.8, 49, and 32.3 minutes for the OS, OP, and PP procedures, respectively. Total operating rooms times were 59.1, 88.9, and 76.7; while non-surgical times spent in the operating rooms were 26.3, 39.9, and 44.4 minutes for these groups, respectively. Achilles tendons repaired either OP or PP resulted in an additional 13.6 and 18.1 (average 15.9) minutes of operating room time. There was not an increase in complications with the supine procedure compared to the prone procedures. Conclusion: Primary Achilles tendon repairs can be performed effectively using an open technique in a supine position, saving non-surgical operating room time without increasing complications. The supine position may also offer a safer method of providing anesthesia to these patients by allowing the anesthesiologist a more accessible airway and decreasing the risks involved with placing an intubated patient into a prone position

Midterm Survivorship and Complications of the Cadence Total Ankle Arthroplasty

Category: Ankle Arthritis; Ankle Introduction/Purpose: The Cadence total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) system first entered clinical use in 2016. Short-term outcomes with a minimum of two-year follow-up time have demonstrated survivorship between 93.7% and 100% with improvements in patient-reported outcomes measures, coronal alignment, and range of motion1–4. The purpose of this study is to report the midterm survivorship and complications of Cadence TAA patients with a minimum of 4.5-year radiographic follow-up. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted to identify a total of 22 TAA patients with the Cadence implant and a minimum follow-up time of 4.5-years. Patient age, sex, body mass index, diabetes mellitus status, rheumatoid arthritis status, smoking status, laterality, and diagnosis for TAA were collected from patient chart reviews. Preoperative FAAM-ADL subscore, FAAM-Sport subscore, and VAS pain scores and the postoperative scores at the last follow-up visit was also collected. 13 out of 22 patients had preoperative FAAM-VAS scores available while 10 out of 22 patients had postoperative FAAM-VAS scores available. Postoperative complications in the form of wound-related issues and those requiring reoperation or revision were noted, with revision defined as removal or exchange of metal component. 5-view radiographs obtained preoperatively and at the last follow-up visit were used to measure coronal alignment, range of motion, evidence of subsidence or loosening, and osteolysis as previously described1. Results: 3 out of 22 patients required a revision surgery, 1 for loosening of tibial component and 2 for infection. 4 out of 22 patients underwent a reoperation, 2 for gutter debridement due to impingement or heterotopic ossification, 1 for periprosthetic medial malleolar fracture, and 1 for removal of painful medial malleolar screws. The average FAAM-ADL, FAAM-Sport, and VAS pain scores improved from 50.6, 26.5, and 59.9 to 69.5, 35.5, and 23.6, respectively. The coronal alignment angle decreased from 5.96 degrees from neutral to 2.31 degrees. The average dorsiflexion and plantarflexion angles were 14.74 and 17.18 degrees, respectively, for an average range of motion of 31.9 degrees. 3 out of 22 patients had evidence of osteolysis while no patients had evidence of loosening or subsidence. Conclusion: The midterm survivorship of Cadence TAA system in 22 patients was 86.4%. Excluding the two cases of infection which are typically not attributed to implant performance, the survivorship was 95.4%. The reasons for reoperation included impingement, heterotopic ossification, periprosthetic fracture, and removal of painful hardware. The average FAAM-ADL, FAAM- Sport, VAS pain scores and coronal alignment improved. Analysis of longer follow-up time in greater patient cohorts is necessary for clearer understanding of this fixed-bearing implant’s performance

Anterior Talofibular Ligament Abnormalities on Routine Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Ankle

Category: Ankle, Sports, Trauma Introduction/Purpose: The anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) is one of the most commonly injured structures of the lower extremity after an ankle sprain. Evidence of remote injury to this structure is frequently encountered on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the ankle, with uncertain clinical significance. Previous studies in the orthopaedic literature have discussed the prevalence of abnormal MRI findings in asymptomatic patients, most notably with regards to the spine and shoulder. More recently, a study on the prevalence of peroneal tendon abnormalities on routine MRI of the ankle was published. However, to our knowledge, no such study exists for the ATFL. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of abnormal findings of the ATFL on MRI in asymptomatic individuals. Methods: All foot and ankle MRIs performed at our institution over a 4-month period were considered for inclusion in our study. Studies were excluded if performed on patients with documented ankle inversion injuries, ankle sprains, lateral ankle trauma, tenderness over the ATFL, or ankle instability. A total of 320 MRIs were eligible for inclusion. The integrity of the ATFL was noted in addition to the primary pathology. Results: The median age of the patients included in this study was 51 years with 203 females (63%) and 117 males (37%). One hundred eighteen (37%) of the 320 MRIs demonstrated some ATFL pathology. The most commonly encountered ATFL pathologies were thickening (38%), chronic tear (35%), attenuation (25%) and acute tear (2%). Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that a sizeable percentage of asymptomatic individuals (37%) will have ATFL abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging of the foot and ankle. This study can have important clinical implications for patients who present with concerning MRI findings that do not correlate clinically. Based on our results, orthopaedic surgeons or any other physician providing musculoskeletal care can provide counseling and reassurance to patients who present with ATFL pathology on MRI but an absence of clinical findings. Much like MRI of the shoulder or spine, abnormalities must be correlated with the clinical exam

Value of Supine Positioning in Repair of Achilles Tendon Ruptures

Category: Hindfoot Introduction/Purpose: The optimal method of Achilles tendon repair remains undefined. Few previous studies have quantified the financial expenses of Achilles tendon repairs in relation to functional outcomes in order to assess the overall value of the accepted repair techniques. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the value of supine positioning during open repair (OS) of acute Achilles tendon ruptures through the quantification of operative times, costs, and outcomes in comparison to the commonly performed percutaneous prone (PP) repair technique. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on 67 patients undergoing OS and 67 patients undergoing PP primary Achilles tendon repair with two surgeons at four surgical locations. Total operating room usage times and operating times were collected from surgical site records. Total operating room times were used to estimate the costs of room usage and anesthesia, while costs of repair equipment were collected from the respective manufacturers. Patients undergoing OS repair completed the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) questionnaire, with activities of daily living (ADL) and sports subscales, Short Form-12 (SF-12), with mental (MCS) and physical (PCS) health subcategories, and the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain preoperatively and at final follow-up. Results: Even with a significantly longer mean surgical time (P=.035), OS repairs had a shorter duration of total operating room time when compared to that of PP repairs (58.4 versus 69.7 minutes, P<.001). Estimated time-dependent costs were lower in OS repairs ($739 versus$861 per procedure, P<.001), while the estimated average total per procedure cost was also lower for OS repairs ($801 versus$1,910 per procedure, P<.001). For patients undergoing OS repair, FAAM-ADL (P<.001), FAAM-Sports (P<.001), SF-12-PCS (P<.001) all increased and VAS grades (P<0.001) decreased from time of initial encounter to final follow-up and were comparable to reported outcomes in the current literature. The complication rate in OS repairs (6.0%) was lower than PP repairs (11.9%), with revisions only occurring in the latter technique. Conclusion: Performing open Achilles tendon repair in the supine position offers substantial value, or “health outcomes achieved per dollar spent”, to providers due to decreased total operating room times and costs with satisfactory functional outcomes

Comparison of Intraoperative Radiation Exposure Between Minimally Invasive Chevron Akin (MICA) and Open Procedures for Hallux Valgus Correction

Category: Bunion; Midfoot/Forefoot Introduction/Purpose: The minimally-invasive Chevron-Akin (MICA) procedure for hallux valgus correction is an increasingly popular technique that has yielded comparable radiographic and clinical outcomes to open procedures3–5. Intraoperative radiation dosages for certain foot and ankle surgeries have been reported relative to the international occupational radioprotection thresholds6. In particular, the mean intraoperative radiation exposure during the MIS Scarf osteotomy has been reported to be 14-times greater than open osteotomy7. However, no study to date has reported on the intraoperative radiation exposure during MICA procedures in relation to that of open procedures. Methods: This is a retrospective comparative study from a single institution. Patients underwent a MICA (n=25) or open (n=40) hallux valgus correction by a single foot and ankle fellowship trained surgeon. To account for the learning curve8, the number of intraoperative fluoroscopy shots for the first 50 consecutive MICA procedures were analyzed, and the first 25 procedures were excluded. Four data points were retrieved from the mini C-arm, including 1) number of fluoroscopy shots taken; 2) total fluoroscopy time (s); 3) total radiation dose (mGy); and 4) total dose area product (DAP; mGy*cm 2 ). Preoperative and postoperative radiographs were referenced to measure the hallux valgus (HVA) and intermetatarsal angles (IMA) as previously described.9 Categorical variables were compared using the chi-square test, and continuous variables were compared using Student’s t-test or the Mann-Whitney U test. Analysis of variance was used to determine the statistical significance of differences in the fluoroscopy data between groups. Results: The average total dose absorbed (4.00 vs. 1.34 mGy, p< 0.001), total fluoroscopy time (226 vs. 48.5 s, p< 0.001), and number of fluoroscopy shots (125 vs. 22.3, p< 0.001) were 2.9, 4.6, and 5.6 times greater in the MICA versus the open group, respectively. The total DAP (4.22 vs. 2.56 mGy*cm 2 , p=0.175) was 1.6 times greater in the MICA group but the difference was not statistically significant. The mean preoperative and postoperative HVA and IMA were greater in the MICA cohort compared to the open cohort. However, there was no statistical difference in change in HVA (MICA -17.43 vs. Open -20.05, p=0.125) or IMA (MICA -8.08 vs. open -9.31, p=0.11) between the two cohorts, with each resulting in normal postoperative angles. Conclusion: In this single surgeon series, the MICA procedure demonstrated significantly greater dose absorbed, total fluoroscopy time, and number of fluoroscopy shots compared to the open procedure. The extent of radiation exposure to the surgeon and the patient in relation to the radioprotection thresholds must be closely monitored to specify the health risks involved with this procedure

Identifying Risk Factors for Failure of a Modified Broström’s Procedure

Category: Ankle Introduction/Purpose: The modified Broström’s procedure has been widely accepted as the operative treatment of choice for treating lateral ankle instability in patients that have failed nonoperative management. However, the predisposing risk factors for failure of operative treatment, which has important implications for patient selection, is unknown. The purpose of this study is to thus identify independent risk factors for failure of an index Broström’s procedure. Methods: A retrospective single institutional study of 123 modified Broström’s procedures, average age 40 years, was performed with a minimum of 2 year follow-up. An electronic query based on Current Procedural Terminology codes was initially performed followed by a manual review of the operative report. Patients with any concurrent osteotomy, arthrodesis, or arthroplasty procedures were excluded. Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) and Short Form Survey 12 (SF-12) were obtained both preoperatively and postoperatively. Cormorbidities and relevant demographic information were manually obtained. Treatment success was defined as a postoperative FAAM Sport score increase by greater than 9 points, an established minimal clinical difference established in the literature. A linear regression controlling demographic factors and baseline scores was utilized to predict scores at last follow-up. Results: At last follow-up, 31.4% did not demonstrate a self reported clinical improvement in the FAAM Sport scores with 2% (3/123) of the entire cohort requiring reoperation. A higher preoperative physical SF-12 score was associated with a reduction in the postoperative physical SF-12 score (p=0.035) while higher body mass index (p=0.010) was associated lower mental component SF-12 scores at follow-up. Interestingly, higher age is associated with higher 2-year PCS score. Furthermore, the occurrence of a complication was associated with lower ADL (p<0.001), Sport (p=0.002), and total FAAM (p=0.002) scores and higher pain (p=0.017) at 2-years. Conclusion: A significant amount of patients did not demonstrate a clinical improvement in functional outcomes although the overall reoperation rate was low. Surgeons should be aware that approximately one third of patients may not have achieved their desired clinical outcome and that BMI and preoperative function is associated with worse outcomes

Effect of Post-Operative Toradol Administration on Bone Healing After Ankle Fracture Fixation

Category: Ankle, Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Ketorolac has been reported to delay bone healing when administered after spine surgery, and there is hesitancy to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) in the fracture setting despite its reliable ability to relieve surgical pain. The effect of ketorolac administration after foot and ankle surgery has not been well-defined in the literature to date. The purpose of this study is to report clinical and radiographic outcomes for patients treated with a perioperative ketorolac regimen after open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of ankle fractures. A secondary purpose is to determine whether there are other patient factors that affect radiographic healing in this population. We hypothesize that the time to radiographic healing with ketorolac use after ORIF of ankle fractures is no different than a historical control. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on all patients that received perioperative ketorolac at the time of lateral malleolar, bimalleolar, and trimalleolar ankle ORIF by a single surgeon between 2010 and 2016 with minimum 4 months follow-up. Patients were prescribed 5 days of 10 mg ketorolac every 6 hours. Radiographs were evaluated independently by two blinded fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeons to assess for radiographic healing of lateral malleolus, medial malleolus, and posterior malleolus fractures at 6, 12, and 16 weeks post-operatively. Two hundred and ninety-four patients were included with an average age of 50 years with 138 males (47%). Literature review was performed to determine an appropriate historical control of time to radiographic healing after ankle ORIF for comparison. Statistical analysis consisted of a linear mixed-effects regression which was performed to estimate the effect of time and covariates, taking into account repeated measurements on the same subject. Results: Radiographic healing was demonstrated by 16 weeks in 221 of 281 (79%) lateral malleolus fractures, 105 of 132 medial malleolus fractures (80%), and 53 of 57 (93%) posterior malleolus fractures (see Figure 1). Median healing times were 12, 11, and 6 weeks for lateral, medial, and posterior malleoli fractures respectively. There was no significant difference in time to radiographic healing of lateral malleolus when compared to a historical control of 16.7 weeks to union. Active tobacco use was an independent risk factor for delayed radiographic healing (p < 0.05). Diabetes mellitus and age greater than 50 years were independent factors associated with faster healing of the lateral malleolus fractures (p < 0.05). Rheumatoid arthritis, oral steroid use, and obesity had no effect on radiographic healing. Conclusion: Perioperative ketorolac use did not affect radiographic healing of ankle fractures after ORIF. As expected, active tobacco use was associated with slower radiographic healing. There is no evidence that ketorolac use further delayed union in smokers, but this may warrant further study. We unexpectedly identified diabetes mellitus and older age as factors associated with faster healing which also warrants further study. This is the first study to date examining the effect of ketorolac on radiographic time to union of ankle fractures. Further study may help determine whether ketorolac helps reduce opioid consumption and improve pain following ORIF of ankle fractures

Total Ankle Arthroplasty

Category: Ankle, Ankle Arthritis Introduction/Purpose: Reports of ankle range of motion and how it affects patient outcomes following total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) have been mixed. Furthermore, recent studies have relied on clinical exam to obtain postoperative range of motion and have lacked preoperative functional scores. The purpose of our study was to analyze how preoperative range of motion and functional scores change with time following TAA using postoperative functional scores and radiographs for range of motion calculations. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on 107 patients (109 ankles) that had undergone fixed-bearing implant TAA by a single surgeon between 2010 and 2015. Preoperative range of motion was gathered clinically in office by the senior author. Postoperative range of motion through the ankle joint was evaluated with dedicated weight-bearing maximum dorsiflexion and plantarflexion lateral radiographs at 3 and 6 months, 1 and 2 years. The range of motion was measured using the angle measurement tool on the picture archiving and communication system. Patients completed visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) questionnaire subcategorized into activities of daily (ADL) and sports subscale preoperatively and at postoperative intervals of 3 and 6 months, 1 and 2 years. The mean age was 65 years (range, 31-83 years). Mean BMI was 28.1 (range, 14.9-44.9). There were 53 males (50%). Results: The mean total arc of ankle motion preoperatively was 20.7 degrees and improved significantly to 28.3, 34.3, 33.3, and 33.3 degrees at 3 and 6 months, 1 and 2 years, respectively (P<0.001) (Figure 1). Mean VAS pain and mean FAAM ADL preoperative scores improved significantly at each postoperative time point as seen in Figure 1 (P<0.001). Increased ankle range of motion was correlated with lower VAS preoperatively (r=-0.38, P=0.007), and at 1 year (r=-0.36, P<0.001), and 2 years (r=-0.2, P=0.033) postoperatively. Increased ankle range of motion was significantly correlated with higher FAAM-ADL at 3 months (r=0.48, P=0.012), 1 year (r=0.24, P<0.034), and 2 years (r=0.37, P<0.001) postoperatively. Conclusion: Patients undergoing fixed-bearing TAA had continued and sustained improvement from preoperative total arc of motion, pain, and function at each postoperative visit, up to 2 years. Ankle range of motion was noted to peak at 6 months, while pain and FAAM-ADL continued to improve up to 2 years postoperatively. Patients with greater ankle range of motion correlated with less pain and improved function at 1 and 2 years postoperatively. Though pain and function may continue to improve even as far out as 2 years postoperatively, it is not likely that range of motion will continue to increase