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Background: For many patients, returning to driving after right foot and ankle surgery is a concern, and it is not uncommon for patients to ask if driving may be performed with their left foot. A paucity of literature exists to guide physician recommendations for return to driving. The purpose of this study was to describe the driving habits of patients after right-sided foot surgery and assess the safety of left-footed driving using a driving simulator. Methods: Patients who underwent right foot or ankle operations between January 2015 and December 2015 were retrospectively identified. A survey assessing driving habits prior to surgery and during the recovery period was administered via a REDCap database through email or telephone. Additionally, simulated driving scenarios were conducted using a driving simulator in 20 volunteer subjects to compare characteristics of left- versus right-footed driving. Results: Thirty-six of 96 (37%) patients who responded to the survey reported driving with the left foot postoperatively. No trends were found associating left-footed driving prevalence and socioeconomic status. In driving simulations, patients exceeded the speed limit significantly more (P <.001) and hit other vehicles more (P <.026) when driving with the right foot than the left. The time to fully brake and fully release the throttle in response to vehicular hazards was significantly prolonged in left-footed driving compared with right (P =.019 and P =.034, respectively). Conclusion: A significant proportion of right foot ankle surgery patients engaged in left-footed driving during postoperative recovery. Driving with both the right and left foot presents a risk of compromised safety. This study provides novel objective data regarding the potential risks of unipedal left-footed driving using a standard right-footed console, which indicates that driving with the left foot may prolong brake and throttle release times. Further studies are warranted for physicians to be able to appropriately advise patients about driving after foot and ankle surgery. Level of Evidence: Level IV, case series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Conversion arthroplasty for failed primary fixation of intertrochanteric fractures can be achieved using various methods, including cemented total hip arthroplasty, uncemented total hip arthroplasty, hybrid total hip arthroplasty, and hemiarthroplasty. Complication rates vary between each conversion method. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of conversion method on total conversion complication rates. Methods We performed a meta-analysis of five studies with sufficient data for analysis. We created a null hypothesis stating that the expected distribution of complications across conversion methods would reflect the distribution of conversion method used for failed primary fixation. Using a z test, we compared proportions of the expected distribution of complications to the observed distribution of complications. Results A total of 138 cases of conversion arthroplasty with 49 complications were available for analysis. The mean age was 73 (range, 32–96) years. 19 males and 48 females were included, with one study not including patient gender. The mean time from primary fixation failure to conversion was 11 months, and the mean duration of conversion surgery was 132 min. Expected and observed complication rate distributions were as follows: cemented total hip arthroplasty, 6.5% versus 4.1% (p = 0.79); uncemented total hip arthroplasty, 77.5% versus 81.6% (p = 0.69); hybrid total hip arthroplasty, 2.9% versus 2.0% (p = 1); and hemiarthroplasty, 13% versus 12.2% (p = 1). Conclusions Our findings suggest that the method of conversion arthroplasty following failed primary intertrochanteric femur fracture fixation does not influence complication rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The purpose of our study was to examine the preoperative clinical factors and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings associated with peroneal pathology in chronic lateral ankle instability patients, as well as the clinical factors associated with peroneal lesions being detected on MRI. Peroneal pathology was determined from intraoperative findings. Patients with/without peroneal pathology were compared regarding their preoperative clinical findings. MRI reports were examined to determine the sensitivity of detecting peroneal pathologies. Clinical factors were compared between patients (N = 238) with undetected and detected peroneal lesions on MRI. Conservative treatment, preoperative physical therapy, and lack of a traumatic inciting event were associated with peroneal pathology. MRI had a sensitivity of 61.11% for detecting peroneal pathology. No clinical factors were significantly different between "detected" and "undetected" cases. Certain historical factors were associated with peroneal pathology in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability, and MRI had a high false-negative rate. Surgeons should exercise caution when ruling out peroneal pathology based on preoperative physical examination or MRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Cannulated surgical instruments may retain biologic debris after routine cleaning and sterilization. Residual debris after cleaning is assumed to be sterile; however, there is no experimental basis for this assumption. The purpose of this study was to determine the sterility of retained biodebris found within cannulated surgical instruments after autoclave sterilization. Materials and Methods Fifteen cannulated drill bits were used to drill pig scapulae to create a plug of bone that was exposed to a mixture of Bacillus cereus , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus for 60, 120, or 180 minutes prior to sterilization. The drill bits were autoclave sterilized using standard settings. The “sterilized” bone cores were then incubated in solution and streak-plated on blood agar. Results All 3 positive controls were positive for the experimental bacteria. Two negative controls were positive for contaminant bacteria. A B. cereus strain was recovered from 1 of the experimental group drill bits in the 180-minute group. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis confirmed that the recovered B. cereus strain was identical to the experimental inoculate. Conclusion Retained biodebris in cannulated drills may not be sterile after standard autoclave sterilization. In addition, delay of surgical instrument reprocessing may increase the risk of resistant contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis is a salvage procedure for various end-stage foot and ankle pathologic entities. Several factors are known to influence the union rate after these procedures, including construct rigidity. The data on locked plates as a fixation technique have been inconclusive, with variable union rates reported. One recent study suggested that locking plates can lead to high nonunion rates owing to excessive rigidity. The purpose of the present study was to retrospectively examine the outcomes of locking plate fixation. We retrospectively reviewed the cases of 15 patients (7 [46.7%] male, 8 [53.3%] female) who underwent tibiotalocalcaneal, tibiocalcaneal, or tibiotalar arthrodesis fixed with a locking plate from January 2013 to January 2014. The average age was 52.19 ± 5.8 years. The mean follow-up period was 17 ± 5.3 months. We examined the overall union rates and the effects of smoking, diabetes, and rheumatologic status on the union rate. Of the 15 cases, 11 (73.3%) did not achieve union. The mean time to failure was 10 ± 5.3 months. Age, gender, smoking, diabetes, use of augmentation screws outside the plate, and operating surgeon did not have an effect on the failure rate ( p > .50). In addition, gender, smoking, and diabetes did not predict for nonunion. The high failure rate of rigid locking plate fixation reported might be attributable to the high incidence of smoking and diabetic comorbidities in our study. However, excessive construct rigidity might play an important role. Larger studies are needed to establish more reliable union rates with the use of locking plates in foot and ankle fusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the risk of iatrogenic injury to plantar neurovascular structures of the foot during insertion of a curved retrograde tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) fusion nail. Material and Methods: Ten below-knee thawed fresh-frozen cadaveric specimens underwent curved retrograde nailing of the ankle. The shortest distance between the nail and the main plantar neurovascular branches and injured structures were recorded during dissection. We also evaluated the relative position of these structures along 2 lines (AB, connecting the calcaneus to the first metatarsal, and BC, connecting the first and fifth metatarsal). Results: The lateral plantar artery was found to be in direct contact with the nail 70% of the time, with a macroscopic laceration 30% of the time. The Baxter nerve was injured 20% of the time, as was the lateral plantar nerve. The medial plantar artery and nerve were never injured. The most proximal structure to cross line AB was the Baxter nerve followed by the lateral plantar artery, the nail, the lateral plantar nerve, and the medial plantar nerve. Conclusion: Our cadaveric anatomic study found that the most common structures at risk for iatrogenic injury by lateral curved retrograde TTC fusion nails were the lateral plantar artery and nerve, and the Baxter nerve. Clinical Relevance: Determination of a true neurovascular safe zone is challenging and therefore warrants careful operative dissection to minimize neurovascular injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extraction of low grade zinc ore found in Gumau-Toro town was carried out using gravity and froth flotation methods. Analysis of the chemical composition reveals that the crude ore contains 20.20% Zinc and other related minerals such as 66.72% SiO2, 2.36%.Pb, 16.62%Fe, 0.001%Ag, these are impurities that hindered the grade of zinc in this ore from appreciating. Fractional and grain sieve size results revealed that the liberation size of the ore is at -355+250μm assaying 32.41%Zn. At this liberation sieve size, the low grade zinc ore was subjected to four different beneficiation methods using five kilograms (5kg) each as charge into Wilfley shaking Table, Humphrey spiral concentrator, Air floating Machine and one kilogram (1kg) for froth flotation. Resulting products (concentrate and tailing) from these processes were analyzed using instrumentation method. Percentage recovery of each applied process was calculated. This was used to ascertain that the use of froth flotation that gives 74.32%Zn at a recovery of 84.62% stands out the best method for zinc extraction towards value addition to the low grade crude zinc ore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In sub-Saharan Africa, there is no precise use of metabolic syndrome (MetS) definitions and risk factors screening indices in many clinical and public health services. Methods proposed and used in Western populations are adopted without validation within the local settings. The aim of the study is to assess obesity indices and cut-off values that maximise screening of MetS and risk factors in the Nigerian population. Method A consolidated analysis of 2809 samples from four population-based cross-sectional study of apparently healthy persons ≥ 18 years was carried out. Optimal waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) cut points for diagnosing MetS and risk factors were determined using Optimal Data Analysis (ODA) model. The stability of the predictions of the models was also assessed. Results Overall mean values of BMI, WC and WHtR were 24.8 ± 6.0 kg m −2 , 84.0 ± 11.3 cm and 0.52 ± 0.1 respectively. Optimal WC cut-off for discriminating MetS and diabetes was 83 cm in females and 85 cm in males, and 82 cm in females and 89 cm in males, respectively. WC was stable in discriminating diabetes than did WHtR and BMI, while WHtR showed better stability in predicting MetS than WC and BMI. Conclusion The study shows that the optimal WC that maximises classification accuracy of MetS differs from that currently used for sub-Saharan ethnicity. The proposed global WHtR of 0.50 may misclassify MetS, diabetes and hypertension. Finally, the WC is a better predictor of diabetes, while WHtR is a better predictor of MetS in this sample population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]