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Background: Open hindfoot surgery is associated with a relatively high rate of complications, including neurovascular injuries and wound healing problems compared with percutaneous techniques. However, there is a scarcity of literature describing the outcomes of these percutaneous techniques given their relatively recent adoption. The present study aims to assess the rate of postoperative complications for 3 commonly performed percutaneous calcaneal osteotomies. Methods: One hundred eighteen patients (unilateral feet) were treated with one of 3 common percutaneous calcaneal osteotomies. Sixty-five patients (55.1%) were treated with a medializing calcaneal osteotomy for hindfoot valgus, 32 patients with a Zadek osteotomy (27.1%) for insertional Achilles tendinopathy, and 21 patients (17.8%) with a modified Dwyer osteotomy for hindfoot varus. Fisher exact test was used to assess for associations between categorical variables. Results: The mean age was 46.2 years and there was a mean follow-up of 16.1 months. The overall rate of postoperative complications was 3.4% (n = 4), and no significant differences were found between the different osteotomy types. Complications included 2 cases (1.7%) of transient neuritis, 1 case of prolonged wound drainage (0.8%), and 1 nonunion (0.8%). None of the complications were associated with any recorded preoperative comorbidity. Discussion: In this series, we found that percutaneous calcaneal osteotomies are a safe alternative method for the treatment of conditions involving the hindfoot. The rate of postoperative complications may be less when compared to the reported rates of open hindfoot correction and should be considered in patients with a traditionally high risk of developing a postoperative complication. Level of Evidence: Level IV, retrospective analysis.

Background: Closed wound drainage has been extensively studied in the hip and knee arthroplasty literature with equivocal results on its clinical benefits. Although also used in orthopaedic surgeries like ankle arthrodesis and ankle arthroplasty, large-scale data are currently lacking on utilization patterns and real-world effectiveness. We, therefore, aimed to address this research gap in this distinct surgical cohort using national claims data. Methods: Using the Premier Healthcare claims database from 2006 to 2016, ankle arthrodesis (n=10,085) and ankle arthroplasty (n=4,977) procedures were included. The main effect was drain use, defined by detailed billing descriptions. Outcomes included blood transfusion, 90-day readmission, and length and cost of hospitalization. Mixed-effects models measured associations between drain use and outcomes. Odds ratios (OR, or % change), 95% CIs, and P values are reported. Results: Overall, drains were used in 11% (n=1,074) and 15% (n=755) of ankle arthrodesis and ankle arthroplasty procedures, respectively. Drain use dramatically decreased over the years in both surgery types: from 14% to 6% and 24% to 7% between 2006 and 2016, for arthrodesis and ankle arthroplasty procedures, respectively. After adjustment for relevant covariates, drain use was associated with increased odds of blood transfusion in ankle arthrodesis surgery (OR 1.4, CI 1.1-1.8, P = .0168), whereas differences that were statistically but not clinically significant were seen in cost and length of stay. In total ankle arthroplasty, no statistically significant associations were observed between drain use and the selected outcomes. Conclusion: This is the first national study on drain use in ankle surgery. We found a decrease in use over time. Drain use was associated with higher odds of blood transfusion in ankle arthrodesis patients. Although this negative effect may be mitigated by the rapidly decreasing use of drains, future studies are needed to discern drivers of drain use in this distinct surgical population. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective cohort study

Background:. Undocumented immigrants in the United States are at risk for upper extremity trauma due to occupational exposure, and decreased access to healthcare can worsen outcomes. The purpose of this study was to compare documented versus undocumented patients in a large cohort of patients in New York City's most diverse neighborhood in order to characterize upper extremity trauma in this population. Methods:. The Elmhurst Hospital trauma database was examined for patients admitted with upper extremity trauma from April 2016 to December 2019. Charts were examined for demographic information, documentation status, injury mechanism, and outcomes. Results:. Of the 1041 patients included, 865 (83.1%) were documented and 176 (16.9%) were undocumented. Undocumented immigrants were younger (40.5 versus 62.4 years, P < 0.0001) and predominantly men (83.5% versus 57.1%, P < 0.0001) with fewer comorbidities (42.6% versus 64.6%, P < 0.0001). Occupational injury was three times as likely in undocumented immigrants (13.6% versus 4.6%, P < 0.0001) and these patients were nearly twice as likely to be harmed from violence (19.9% versus 10.2%, P = 0.0003). Increased rates of injury during bicycle/motorcycle accidents (8.0% versus 3.0%, P = 0.0017) or being struck as a pedestrian (21.6% versus 14.3%, P = 0.0149) were found in the undocumented cohort, with falls (39.8% versus 59.3%, P < 0.0001) or vehicle collisions (0.6% versus 3.5%, P = 0.0402). Conclusions:. Undocumented patients with upper extremity trauma represent a younger/healthier cohort, but are more likely to be injured at work or by violence. Documentation status plays a role in injury characteristics.