Global burden of cardiovascular diseases and risk factors, 1990–2019: update from the GBD 2019 study

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), principally ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke, are the leading cause of global mortality and a major contributor to disability. This paper reviews the magnitude of total CVD burden, including 13 underlying causes of cardiovascular death and 9 related risk factors, using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019. GBD, an ongoing multinational collaboration to provide comparable and consistent estimates of population health over time, used all available population-level data sources on incidence, prevalence, case fatality, mortality, and health risks to produce estimates for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. Prevalent cases of total CVD nearly doubled from 271 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 257 to 285 million) in 1990 to 523 million (95% UI: 497 to 550 million) in 2019, and the number of CVD deaths steadily increased from 12.1 million (95% UI:11.4 to 12.6 million) in 1990, reaching 18.6 million (95% UI: 17.1 to 19.7 million) in 2019. The global trends for disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and years of life lost also increased significantly, and years lived with disability doubled from 17.7 million (95% UI: 12.9 to 22.5 million) to 34.4 million (95% UI:24.9 to 43.6 million) over that period. The total number of DALYs due to IHD has risen steadily since 1990, reaching 182 million (95% UI: 170 to 194 million) DALYs, 9.14 million (95% UI: 8.40 to 9.74 million) deaths in the year 2019, and 197 million (95% UI: 178 to 220 million) prevalent cases of IHD in 2019. The total number of DALYs due to stroke has risen steadily since 1990, reaching 143 million (95% UI: 133 to 153 million) DALYs, 6.55 million (95% UI: 6.00 to 7.02 million) deaths in the year 2019, and 101 million (95% UI: 93.2 to 111 million) prevalent cases of stroke in 2019. Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of disease burden in the world. CVD burden continues its decades-long rise for almost all countries outside high-income countries, and alarmingly, the age-standardized rate of CVD has begun to rise in some locations where it was previously declining in high-income countries. There is an urgent need to focus on implementing existing cost-effective policies and interventions if the world is to meet the targets for Sustainable Development Goal 3 and achieve a 30% reduction in premature mortality due to noncommunicable diseases

Safe Zone for Percutaneous Screw Fixation - Talonavicular Fusion

Category: Hindfoot Introduction/Purpose: Talonavicular fusion has been established as a reliable intervention for degenerative, inflammatory, and traumatic joint lesions as well as hindfoot deformities. In order to achieve optimal fusion, various versions of the procedure have been introduced in literature and have remained a topic of contention, with the most common variation involving the insertion of 1 to 3 screws dorsomedially and dorsolaterally. Dorsolateral screw placements commonly cause neurovasculature injury. The purpose of our cadaveric study was first to establish the safety of the dorsolateral percutaneous screw insertion in relation to these dorsal neurovascular structures, and then subsequently to standardize the ideal placement of the dorsolateral screw by comparing two insertion sites based on consistent bony landmarks. Methods: Ten fresh-frozen cadaver legs amputated at the knee were used for this study. Percutaneous cannulated screws were inserted to perform isolated talonavicular arthrodesis. The screws were inserted at 3 consistent sites: “medial screw” at dorsomedial navicular where it intersected at the medial plane of the first cuneiform, “central screw” at the edge of dorsal navicular between medial and intermediate cuneiforms, and “lateral screw” at the edge of dorsal navicular between intermediate and lateral cuneiforms. Superficial and deep dissections were carried out to identify any injured nerves, arteries, and tendons. Results: The mean age at death in our sample of cadavers was 80.1 ± 7.5 years (range 68 to 92) and had the BMI of 21.8 ± 2.4 (range 18.1 to 25.1). There were 5 males (50.0%) and 5 females (50.0%). The medial screw injured the anterior tibialis tendon in 2 cases (20.0%), the central screw injured the extensor hallucis longus tendon in 3 cases (30.0%), and the lateral screw injured the anterior branch of SPN, lateral branch of SPN, and medial branch of DPN once each in a total of 3 cases (30.0%). Conclusion: TN fusion with central screw placement at the interspace between the medial and intermediate cuneiforms protects the neurovasculatures of the foot to a superior extent than lateral screws between the intermediate and lateral cuneiforms

Calcaneal Osteotomy Safe-Zone to Prevent Neurological Damage

Category: Ankle, Hindfoot Introduction/Purpose: Calcaneal osteotomy is a relatively common procedure used to address hindfoot deformities with a lateral calcaneal slide being utilized in the treatment of varus deformities and a medial slide for valgus deformities. This procedure does put neurological structures at risk. Specifically, a lateral approach jeopardizes the sural and lateral calcaneal nerves, while a medial approach endangers the medial plantar, lateral plantar, and calcaneal nerves. A previous cadaveric study described a neurological “safe zone” 11.2 mm anteriorly from “line A” which was described as extending from the posterior-superior aspect of the calcaneal tuberosity to the origin of the plantar fascia. We performed a retrospective chart review to correlate the positioning of the calcaneal osteotomy and the presence of neurological injuries. Methods: In this retrospective study, we reviewed charts of patients who underwent calcaneal osteotomy at our institution in the past 5 years (January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2015). All immediate postoperative radiographs were examined and the distance between the calcaneal osteotomy line and line A was measured. If this distance was less than 11.2 mm the osteotomy was defined as “inside the safe zone”, over 11.2 mm was defined as “anterior to safe zone”, and osteotomies posterior to line A were defined as “posterior to the safe zone”. We correlated the positioning of the osteotomy with the presence of postoperative neurological findings, including damage to the sural, calcaneal, or plantar nerves, presenting as paresthesias or numbness in the nerves’ distributions. Results: Overall, we identified 179 calcaneal osteotomy cases with adequate radiographs and follow-up for inclusion in our analysis. Seven patients experienced postoperative neurological deficits consistent with iatrogenic nerve injury. Of these patients, 28.6% (2/7) had osteotomies anterior to the safe zone with an average distance of 18.40 mm anterior to line A. The remaining 5 (71.4%) received osteotomies inside the safe zone, an average of 7.12 mm anterior to line A. Of the patients who did not sustain nerve injuries 36.0% (62/172) had osteotomies anterior to the safe zone with an average distance of 15.40 mm anterior to line A, 66.2% (107/172) were inside the safe zone with an average distance of 7.84 mm, and 1.7% (3/172) were posterior to the safe zone. Conclusion: Our findings suggest a clinical safe zone in calcaneal osteotomies may not actually exist. Although not statistically significant due to the low prevalence of nerve injury overall, a greater percent (71.4%) of patients with nerve injuries had their osteotomies performed within the safe zone when compared to neurologically intact postoperative patients (66.2%). This data may indicate the lack of a true safe zone, likely due to wide anatomical variation of the implicated nerves, as described in prior studies. Patients should be properly counseled preoperatively on the low, but seemingly fixed risk of nerve injury before undergoing calcaneal osteotomy

Timing of arthroscopy does not impact recurrence rate of ankle instability in patients undergoing lateral ligament repair surgery

Category: Ankle, Arthroscopy Introduction/Purpose: Ankle sprains are common orthopaedic injuries. Although the initial treatment is conservative, some patients may develop chronic instability requiring surgical repair. Arthroscopy is often performed prior to ligament reconstruction to evaluate concomitant intraarticular and cartilage injuries. Arthroscopic treatment may be performed immediately prior to ligament repair (single stage), or it may be scheduled days/weeks prior to ligament repair (double stage). Concerns of single stage arthroscopic treatment are related to the increased difficulty in dealing with ligaments and soft-tissue injuries hindered by fluid extravasation. Our study compares outcomes between single and double stage arthroscopy in patients undergoing lateral ligament repair surgery. Methods: In this retrospective study we reviewed charts of patients with chronic lateral ankle instability who underwent ankle arthroscopy followed by lateral ligament repair from 2011 to through 2015. A total of 102 patients were included in the study, 65 patients in the single stage group, and 37 in the double stage group. Surgical failure was defined as recurrence of ankle instability at any point in the follow up period after the procedure. Demographic data and recurrence rate of instability were compared between the groups using chi-squared test. Results: Women comprised 72% (73/102) percent of the total patient population. No significant differences in demographic data were found between the two groups. There was no difference in the recurrence rate of lateral ankle instability between patients who underwent 1-stage versus 2-stage arthroscopic treatment. The rate was similar between the groups: 10.8% (7/65) of patients with the single stage technique and 8.1% (3/37) of patients in the double stage group (p=0.6208). Conclusion: In the treatment of chronic lateral ankle instability, the use of single-stage arthroscopy and lateral ligament repair showed similar rates of surgical failure when compared to the double-stage procedure. A single stage approach may be a more efficient use of time and hospital resources, and avoids the need to place the patient under anesthesia multiple times. Arthroscopy may be performed immediately prior to lateral ligament repair without concern for increased risk of recurrence of instability

The Role of MRI in the Assessment of Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability

Category: Ankle, Arthroscopy, Sports Introduction/Purpose: Chronic lateral ankle instability is a common problem in foot and ankle surgery, especially in patients with neutral or varus alignment of the hindfoot. Peroneal tendinopathy is a common associated condition with reported incidence as high as 77%. Not all surgical approaches allow for assessment of the peroneal tendons intraoperatively, and so physical exam and imaging, by either ultrasound or MRI, often plays an important role in pre-operative planning. We evaluated the usefulness of MRI reports in identifying peroneal tendon pathology in patients with lateral ankle instability. Specifically, we aimed to identify the most commonly missed lesions, as well as the sensitivity of an MRI report at detecting any peroneal pathology, as we reason this finding to have the great effect on preoperative planning. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of all patients who had undergone surgery for lateral ankle instability at our institution in the past 7 years (January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2015). We used intraoperative peroneal pathology as our gold standard for diagnosis, and identified cases via the operative report. We defined peroneal pathology as peroneal brevis/longus rupture, split lesion, tenosynovitis, or tendinopathy not otherwise specified. Additionally, we assessed for low insertion of the peroneus brevis muscle belly. Then we examined all cases of intraoperative peroneal pathology that had a preoperative MRI report. We correlated MRI reports to intraoperative peroneal findings aiming to assess the accuracy of MRI reports in diagnosing peroneal pathology in patients undergoing surgical treatment for chronic lateral ankle instability. Results: We identified 76 patients with intraoperative peroneal pathology and preoperative MRI reports. Forty-six had some form of peroneal pathology noted on their MRI report (60.5% sensitivity, 39.5% false negatives). MRI report had a 53.3% (16/30) sensitivity for detecting peroneus brevis split lesions, and a 46.2% (30/65) sensitivity for peroneal tenosynovitis or tendinopathy not otherwise specified. Additionally, 41 cases of low insertion of the peroneus brevis muscle belly were found intraoperatively, but MRI report failed to identify any of these specifically. Of the 30 patients who had intraoperative peroneal pathology without such findings on their MRI report, 93.3% (28/30) had peroneal tenosynovitis or tendinopathy not otherwise specified, while 26.7% (8/30) had a peroneus brevis split lesion and 6.7% (2/30) had a peroneus longus split lesion. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that MRI reports may not be accurate in describing the presence of peroneal tendons pathology in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability. With a false-negative rate of nearly 40%, it is likely that MR imaging underestimates peroneal pathology in these patients. This is clinically significant as certain limited surgical approaches such as the “smile” incision, do not allow intraoperative assessment of the peroneal tendons. Our study findings encourage surgeons to review MR images preoperatively and to use a surgical approach that allows peroneal tendon assessment when repairing the lateral ankle ligaments

Revisiting the Prevalence of Associated Co-Pathologies in Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability

Category: Ankle, Hindfoot, Sports Introduction/Purpose: Ankle sprains are the most common athletic injury with an estimated 30% risk of developing chronic lateral ankle instability. Up to 20% of these patients will require surgical management after trial of conservative treatment for chronic disease. Current literature suggests that the presence and type of co-pathologies associated with chronic lateral ankle instability can serve as important predictors of surgical outcomes. As the occurrence of these co-pathologies varies in the literature, providers may underestimate their presence which may lead to suboptimal surgical approach. The purpose of this study is to re-examine the prevalence of common associated lesions in patients who underwent surgical treatment for chronic lateral ankle instability. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical charts for 389 cases of lateral ankle instability repair surgery at our institution between June 2006 and November 2016. All patients had undergone at least 6 months of conservative therapy such as ankle stabilizing orthosis or physical therapy with no improvement. All operations were performed by senior orthopaedic surgeons. Exclusion criteria included age less than 18 at time of surgery, gross traumatic event, and history of ipsilateral subtalar arthrodesis. Demographic information such as age, gender, body mass index, and race/ethnicity were collected. 166 surgical notes accessible through the electronic medical record were reviewed for specific intra-operative findings including presence of peroneal pathology (including tendon split lesion), talar osteochondral defects, anterior or posterior ankle impingement, low lying muscle belly of the peroneus brevis and surgical approach. Simple descriptive statistics were used to examine means and frequencies of the collected data. Results: 166 cases (48 males, 118 females) were included (mean age = 39 ±13.4 years, mean body mass index = 31.41 ± 7.5 kg/m2, mean follow-up = 44 ± 46 weeks). 95 cases involved the left foot while 71 cases involved the right foot. Two senior surgeons accounted for 87% (145/166) of the cases. 20 cases were revisions. 72.3% (120/166) of all cases had associated peroneal pathology (36.6% (44/120) peroneus brevis split lesion and 5.8% (7/120) with peroneus longus split lesion). 41% (69/166) of the patients had ankle impingement (anterior = 32; posterior = 19. combined = 17), 37% (62/166) had a low lying muscle belly of the peroneus brevis and 19% (32/166) had osteochondral lesions of the talus. Conclusion: Surgical approach and long-term outcomes can be affected by the knowledge and proper diagnosis of chronic lateral ankle instability associated lesions. Our study reinforces the need for vigilant exploration of chronic ankle instability patients who require surgical treatment. More specifically, surgical exploration for peroneal pathology and ankle impingement may be crucial as our findings reveal a high intraoperative rate of their occurrence. While the role of a low-lying peroneus brevis muscle belly in the development or course of chronic lateral ankle instability remains to be elucidated, we report a significant percentage of its occurrence

There is No Difference in Post-operative Complication Rates between Single and Multiple Incision Approaches to Lateral Ligament Repair for Chronic Ankle Instability

Category: Ankle Introduction/Purpose: Ankle sprains are common orthopaedic injuries. Some patients may develop chronic instability, requiring ligament reconstruction surgery. While laxity of the lateral ankle ligaments most commonly contributes to ankle instability, there may be other associated factors such as peroneal pathology or misalignment of the hindfoot that must be addressed. Classically, a small curvilinear incision is made to access the lateral ankle ligaments, and separate incisions are made to address the peroneals, or to perform a calcaneal osteotomy if needed. A more recent method involves making a single longitudinal incision that allows access the lateral ankle ligaments, the peroneals and calcaneus without the need for further incisions. This study evaluates the post-operative complication rates between the single and multiple incision approach for patients undergoing lateral ligament repair. Methods: This is a retrospective review of patients who underwent ligament reconstruction for lateral ankle instability from 2011 to 2015. A total of 231 patient records were reviewed. Records with insufficient data, patients with history of prior ligament repair and insufficient follow-up (< 1 year) were excluded. A total of 187 patients met inclusion criteria. Complications including chronic pain, sural neuritis, and skin infections were recorded during the follow up period. Demographic data and complication rates between the two groups were compared using chi-squared test. Results: Of the 187 patients, 160 were in the single incision group and 27 in the multiple incision group. Women comprised 69.0 (90/148) percent of the total patient population. There was no significant difference in demographic data between the two groups. There was also no significant difference in the rate of complications between the single incision and multiple incision groups (p= 0.808). The single incision group had a complication rate of 24% (39/160), while the multiple incision group had a complication rate of 22% (6/27). The most frequent complication in both groups was sural neuritis with it comprising 31% (12/39) and 50% (3/6) of the complications in the single and multiple incision groups respectively. Conclusion: Performing a single longitudinal incision for lateral ligament repair, as well as access to the peroneal tendons and calcaneus does not have increased rates of post-operative complications compared to a multiple incision approach. A longitudinal single incision may be performed without concern for increased rates of post-operative complications in lateral ligament repair surgery for chronic ankle instability

Morton Neuroma Excision

Category: Midfoot/Forefoot Introduction/Purpose: Morton’s Neuroma is a benign enlargement of the second or third common digital branch of the medial plantar nerve. This causes a compressive neuropathy of the distal medial plantar nerve. When conservative management fails, surgery becomes the treatment of choice via either a dorsal or plantar approach to the nerve. When using a dorsal approach for a Morton Neurectomy, neuroma commonly recurs due to insufficiently resection of the medial plantar nerve. It is unclear how far the nerve can be resected and which type of retractor provides superior visualization to allow greater resection. The present cadaveric study investigates how proximally the nerve can be resected and examines both the Laminar spreader and Galpie retractor to determine which instrument facilitates maximal proximal resection of the nerve. Methods: This study involved 12 fresh-frozen below-knee cadaver specimens that underwent a dorsal approach to the medial plantar nerve with proximal resection of the nerve in both the 2nd and 3rd intermetatarsal spaces as is performed during a Morton Neurectomy. The senior surgeon made a 3 cm incision just proximal to the 2nd and 3rd webspaces, and used blunt dissection to the level of the transverse intermetatarsal ligament. The transverse intermetatarsal ligament was then transected, and either a Laminar spreader or Galpie retractor was used to improve visualization of the intermetatarsal space. The medial plantar nerve was then identified and transected, and the lengths of the distal segment of the cut nerves were measured and recorded. These values were then compared based on the retractor employed. Results: In the 2nd intermetatarsal space, the Laminar spreader allowed the nerve to be dissected an average of 2.42 cm proximal to the distal end of the 3rd metatarsal (head)compared to 1.93 cm by the Galpie retractor. Thus, use of the Laminar spreader rather than the Galpie retractor resulted in greater resection of the nerve, although this was not significant. In the 3rd intermetatarsal space, the Laminar spreader allowed the nerve to be dissected an average of 2.14 cm proximal to the distal end of the 3rd metatarsal, while the Galpie retractor allowed 1.48 cm. Thus, use of the Laminar spreader in the 3rd intermetatarsal space resulted in greater excision of the nerve than the Galpie retractor, although this was not significant. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that use of the Laminar spreader during dorsal approach to a Morton Neuroma results in superior proximal resection of the medial plantar nerve when compared to use of the Galpie retractor, thereby decreasing the risk of recurrent Morton Neuroma. Further evaluation of the available retractors is needed to support the superiority of the laminar spreader compared to the Galpie retractor