David Beck

Midterm Outcome of the Agility Total Ankle Arthroplasty

Background: Ankle arthritis is a debilitating condition that causes severe functional impairment. While arthrodesis has been the gold standard of surgical treatment for this condition, significant improvements in total ankle arthroplasty have made it a viable alternative. The purpose of this study was to look at the midterm follow-up of the Agility total ankle. Methods: A retrospective review of prospectively collected data was conducted on 127 consecutive Agility total ankles implanted between 2002 and 2009. Charts were reviewed to collect patient demographics. In addition, coronal alignment, overall arc of motion, tibiotalar component motion, syndesmotic fusion, zones of osteolysis, and subsidence were determined. A Kaplan-Meier survival and linear regression analysis were used to predict implant failure. A multivariate regression analysis was used to assess whether radiographic measures were predictive of patient satisfaction. Results: Ninety (78.2%) of 115 patients retained their primary implant, of which 105 were available for evaluation, with an average follow-up of 9.1 years. Twenty-five had their implant removed. The average score for the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) activities of daily living subscale was 82.4, FAAM sport subscale 55.3, postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) for pain 12.7, and Short Form-12 (SF-12) Health Survey physical component 45.8 and SF-12 mental component 56.1. Average arc of motion across the implant was 22.3 and 6.3 degrees in adjacent joints. Osteolysis most commonly occurred in zones 1 and 6. No statistical differences were found in the rate or location of subsidence. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that age at the time of surgery was predictive of failure (P = .036). Inflammatory and atraumatic arthritis demonstrated higher likelihoods of revision. No correlation was detected between radiographic parameters and outcomes scores (P > .05; rho >0.2). A significant reduction in mean VAS pain scores by 67.6% was maintained at an average of 8 years. Discussion: Our results were improved over the nondesigner outcomes published in the current literature. Survivorship approached 80% at 9 years, with Kaplan-Meier 14-year survival calculated at 70.4%. Patients with their original implant were functioning with a high level of satisfaction based on statistically validated outcome scores, which was independent of the radiographic appearance of their implant. Age at the time of surgery and inflammatory/atraumatic arthritis were predictive of failure. Level of Evidence: Level IV, case series.

Total Ankle Arthroplasty: Comparing Perioperative Outcomes When Performed at an Orthopaedic Specialty Hospital Versus an Academic Teaching Hospital

Background. The number of total ankle arthroplasties (TAAs) performed in the United States has risen significantly in recent years, as has utilization of orthopaedic specialty hospital (OSH) to treat healthy patients undergoing elective surgery. The purpose of this study was to compare postoperative outcomes following TAA at an OSH when compared with a matching population of patients undergoing TAA at an academic teaching hospital (ATH). Methods. We identified all 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 with a corresponding ATH patient by clinical variables. Outcomes analyzed were length of stay (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, body mass index, age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index, and gender. Average LOS for TAA at the OSH was 1.28 ± 0.51 compared with 2.03 ± 0.89 (P < .001) at the ATH. There were no OSH patients readmitted within 30 days, compared with 2 ATH patients readmitted (5.0%; P = .15). Two OSH patients (5.0%) and 2 ATH patients (5.0%; P = 1.00) required reoperation. There were no mortalities in either group. There were no OSH patients requiring transfer. Conclusions. Primary TAA performed at an OSH had significantly shorter LOS when compared with a matched patient treated at an ATH with no significant difference in readmission or reoperation rates and may offer a potential source of significant health care savings. Levels of Evidence: Level III: Retrospective cohort study

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.

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 (

Union Rate and Rate of Hardware Removal Following Plate Fixation of Metatarsal Shaft and Neck Fractures

739 versus

Bilateral Posterior Tibial Tendon and Flexor Digitorum Longus Dislocations: A Case Report.

861 per procedure, P<.001), while the estimated average total per procedure cost was also lower for OS repairs (

Presentation, Diagnosis, and Nonsurgical Treatment Options of the Anterior Tibial Tendon, Posterior Tibial Tendon, Peroneals, and Achilles

801 versus

Plate Fixation of Metatarsal Shaft and Neck fractures has high union rates and low rates of hardware removal: A retrospective cohort study

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.

Recurrent Hallux Valgus: 15 Year Single Surgeon Series

Background: There have been very few studies related to the treatment of first, second, third, and fourth (MT) metatarsal shaft and neck fractures. In order to reduce metatarsal fracture malunion, many surgeons have turned from K-wire to plate fixation of these fractures. This study reports the healing rates, final fracture angulation, and need for hardware removal of operatively treated first to fourth MT shaft and neck fractures with plate fixation. Methods: A retrospective review was performed on all metatarsal fractures at our institution between 2008 and 2014 to identify all first to fourth MT shaft and neck fractures. Medical records and radiographs 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. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to make calculations of statistical significance. Results: Forty-five patients with a total of 75 first to fourth MT fractures treated with plate fixation were included in this study. All fractures went on to union and full weight bearing. The average time to union and time to full weight bearing was 10.9 ± 2 weeks and 7.5 ± 1.6 weeks, respectively. The average coronal and sagittal plane angulation was 3.9 and 2.2 degrees, respectively. Fractures located in the neck were found to have higher coronal plane angulation malunion compared with fractures in the shaft (P = .019). No variable was found to be related to final sagittal plane angulation. No patient had a plate removed, and 26 of 27 of patients did not want to have the plate removed. Conclusion: Metatarsal fractures fixed with plates had high rates of union and low final fracture angulation. No patient included in this study underwent hardware removal. Level of Evidence: Level III, comparative study.

Total Ankle Arthroplasty: Comparing Perioperative Outcomes When Performed at an Orthopaedic Specialty Hospital versus an Academic Teaching Hospital

The authors present a case of a previously healthy and athletic 17-year-old female who presented with a 3.5-year history of medial left ankle pain after sustaining an inversion injury while playing basketball. Prior to presentation, she had failed prior immobilization and physical therapy for a presumed ankles sprain. Physical examination revealed a dislocated posterior tibial tendon (PTT) that was temporarily reducible, but would spontaneously dislocate immediately after reduction. She had pain and snapping of the PTT with resisted ankle plantar flexion and resisted inversion as well as 4/5 strength in ankle inversion. The diagnosis of dislocated PTT was confirmed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The patient underwent suture anchor repair of the medial retinaculum of the left ankle. At the time of surgery both the PTT and flexor digitorum longus (FDL) were dislocated. Three months postoperatively, the patient represented with PTT dislocation of the right (nonoperative) ankle confirmed by MRI. After failure of immobilization, physical therapy, and oral anti-inflammatory medications, the patient underwent suture anchor repair of the medial retinaculum of the right ankle. At 6 months postoperatively, the patient has 5/5 strength inversion bilaterally, no subluxation of either PTT, and has returned to all activities without limitation. The authors present this unique case of bilateral PTT dislocation and concurrent PTT/FDL dislocation along with review of the literature for PTT dislocation. The authors highlight the common misdaiganosis of this injury and highlight the successful results of surgical intervention. Levels of Evidence: Level V: Case report