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Category: Midfoot/Forefoot Introduction/Purpose: Outcomes following surgical reconstruction for acquired flatfoot deformity secondary to posterior tibial tendon dysfunction have been well described. However, the majority of studies have a limited number of patients or short to mid- term follow-up. The purpose of this study was to report the natural history, demographics, and mechanisms of treatment failure for patients undergoing flatfoot reconstruction at a single institution by a single surgeon. Methods: With IRB approval, 321 consecutive patients undergoing flatfoot reconstruction during a 14-year period were included in this study (February 2002 through October 2016). All procedures were performed by a single surgeon (PJJ) at our institution. Demographic data, surgical data, clinic notes, and radiographs were available for review. Exclusion criteria included patients without electronic records or incomplete data. Failure was defined as a need to return to the operating room for revision surgery. Statistical analysis was performed. Results: 321 consecutive patients underwent flatfoot reconstruction from 2002-2016. The majority of patients were female (83.2%) with left laterality (58.6%) & a body mass index classified as overweight (21.5%) or obese (56.4%). 13.7% of patients were diabetics, and 18.4% were current smokers. 54 patients (16.8%) experienced treatment failure. Painful calcaneal hardware requiring removal occurred in 11.8% of patients, conversion to triple arthrodesis occurred in 3.45%, and wound complications or infection requiring irrigation & debridement occurred in 1.87%. There were no mortalities reported within 90 days. There were 3 symptomatic deep vein thromboses, none requiring surgical intervention, & no pulmonary embolisms. A significant increase in relative risk of treatment failure was calculated for female gender, current cigarette use, & age under 60 (3.4 p=0.0005/1.9 p=0.0081/1.8 p=0.042). Conclusion: This study represents the largest series of patients undergoing flatfoot reconstruction by a single surgeon at a single institution. Although retrospective, the results provide valuable insight to the natural history of patients undergoing this procedure. The overall complication rate and treatment failure rates are low and similar to those previously reported in the literature. Patients with female gender or under 60 years of age should be notified of their increased relative risk of treatment failure & counseled accordingly. Smoking cessation is recommended to reduce the risk of treatment failure.

Category: Ankle Arthritis, Hindfoot Introduction/Purpose: Triple arthrodesis is a commonly performed surgical treatment for hindfoot arthritis and deformity. No study has clearly delineated correlates of both clinical and radiographic outcomes in a sample size this large. The purpose of this study is to explore predictive and demographic outcome measures with long-term followup after triple arthrodesis. Methods: With IRB approval, an institutional radiology database was queried for patients undergoing triple arthrodesis between 2004 and 2016, by a single surgeon at a single institution. A total of 465 cases were identified. Pre- and post-operative clinical and radiographic data was collected retrospectively. Demographic and predictive data included: age, Body Mass Index (BMI), American Society of Anesthesiologists Score (ASA), Charleston Comorbidity Index (CCI), diabetic status, osteoporosis, hypothyroidism, and neuromuscular disease status. Clinical outcomes including infection rate, reoperation rate and clinical nonunion were recorded. Unintended return to the operating room defined clinical failure. Radiographic data including non-union rate, pre- and post- operative ankle degenerative joint disease was also recorded. Statistical analysis was then performed to evaluate the relationship between predictive measures and various outcomes including reoperation, infection, and non-union rates. 23 cases were lost to follow-up. Results: A total of 442 feet (397 patients) were analyzed. The average age was 54 years (14 to 85) with the majority of cases being female (60%). Average follow up was 593 days (40 to 4079). Overall failure rate was 13.7% with clinical nonunion rate of 4.5%. Infection rate was 5.9%. Mortality rate was 0% at 2 years post-operatively. Predictors of failure included: increased BMI, elevated ASA, history of diabetes, underlying neuromuscular disorder (Figure 1). We found no significant difference between pre and post-operative degenerative joint disease rates in the midfoot (9.4%, 12.5%) and ankle (11.7%,13.7%), respectively. Conclusion: Triple arthrodesis is a highly effective procedure for treating hindfoot arthritis. Certain predictive measures including BMI, ASA score, diabetic status and underlying neuromuscular disorders significantly correlate with radiographic union. Additionally, diabetic status significantly correlates with infection status postoperatively. An understanding of these predictive measures may help surgeons in their preoperative planning to improve their clinical and radiographic success rates.

Category: Diabetes, Hindfoot, Midfoot/Forefoot Introduction/Purpose: Charcot arthropathy is a destructive joint disorder in patients with longstanding neuropathy, commonly related to Type II diabetes (T2DM). The diagnosis is historically classified via the radiologic Eichenholtz staging system (E-score). The purpose of this study is to examine histopathologic features and develop a correlative pathologic score for Charcot neuroarthropathy. Methods: Patients undergoing lower limb surgery with a clinical diagnosis of midfoot-ankle Charcot neuroarthropathy were included for study. Clinical data, radiology, E-score (1-3), and surgical pathology specimens were reviewed to evaluate skin, adipose, vessel, skeletal muscle, nerve, bone, and bone fragments embedded in synovium. Charcot pathology-score 1 (P-score, CPSI) = large bone fragments (> half 40x hpf objective) without host histiocytic response. CPSII = mixed large and small bone fragments with/without host histiocytic response, CPSIII = small to minute spicules to almost complete resorption/absence of bone fragments with histiocytic/fibrosis-reactive response, were scored by the authors in a blinded fashion. Results: Forty-two patients (32 males and 10 females) were included in analyses with a mean age of 59.9 years (median age: 60, range 28-83). Clinical risk factors for Charcot included T2DM and longstanding neuropathy. Elevated HbA1C, E-Score, preoperative American Society of Anesthesia score, and Charlson comorbidity index were predictors of amputation. Majority of pathologic specimens examined had superficial ischemic ulceration, dermal fibrosis, cellulitis, medial hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, skeletal muscle atrophy, and nerve hypertrophy with intraneural edema and perineural fibrosis. Osteomyelitis was present in >70%. P-scores CPSI = 6%, CPSII = 44%, CPSIII = 50% correlate with E-scores in 98% of cases without interobserver variability. Minor difference from E-score to P-score (2%) was due to sampling. Novel neuropathy change includes observation of intraneural vasculopathy (arteriolosclerosis) in evaluable nerves. Conclusion: CPS is reliable and reproducible and can be performed with adequate synovial sampling. Charcot progresses from large bone fragments in synovium to mixed size with histiocytic response, and final small/resorbed fragments with marked host response/fibrosis. Intraneural vasculopathy likely plays a role in Charcot. Charcot pathology-score (P-score) strongly correlates with clinicoradiologic Eichenholtz-score (E-score).

Category: Diabetes, Hindfoot, Midfoot/Forefoot, obesity Introduction/Purpose: In recent decades, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has increased dramatically. This can be attributed in-part to the high-fat “Western Diet”. Consequentially, the economic burden of obesity to the healthcare system has rapidly increased, accounting for more than 10 percent of all medical spending in America. Furthermore, with regards to orthopedics, obesity has been shown to be a strong risk factor for musculoskeletal pain, injury, and post-operative complications. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of high intensity cardiovascular training and controlled dietary intake on body weight, body fat percentage (BFP), and bone mineral density (BMD) in obese and non-obese mice. These results will provide a better understanding of how to optimally facilitate weight loss in obese patients. Methods: Following IAUCUC approval, 8 diet-induced obesity (DIO) C57BL/6 mice were obtained along with 6 non-obese C57BL/6 control mice. DIO mice were fed a high-fat diet (60% fat by kcal) ad libitum starting at the age of 6 weeks. Control mice were fed a standard low-fat diet (10% fat by kcal) ad libitum from birth. Starting at the age of 14 weeks, all mice underwent a controlled high intensity cardiovascular training protocol using a treadmill four times per week at 30 minute intervals. This was carried out for seven weeks including a one-week acclimation period. Speed, distance, and time spent running were all constant between groups. Mouse body weights were recorded several times per week throughout the study. Additionally, BFP and BMD were obtained bi-weekly using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) to assess morphophysiological changes longitudinally. Results: Preliminary investigations with a controlled exercise regimen reveal that obese mice, when fed a high-fat diet, continue to gain weight rapidly despite high intensity cardiovascular training whereas control mice maintain their weight. Following the seven-week training period, control mice gained an average of 1.25 g (p=0.41), while DIO mice gained an average of 8.55 g (p

Category: Diabetes, Hindfoot, Midfoot/Forefoot Introduction/Purpose: Neuroarthropathy is a progressively debilitating disease commonly affecting the lower extremity, which can lead to profound bone and joint destruction, limb deformity, and even amputation. While there are several causes, long- standing neuropathy is the most common. This leads to loss of protective sensation to the foot, which combined with repetitive micro-trauma as a result of physical activity can lead to bone and joint destruction of the lower extremity as well as major deformity. Currently there are no animal models of this disease process. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel rodent model of neuroarthropathy through the induction of the underlying neuropathic state combined with a treadmill running protocol that closely resembles local micro-trauma seen in humans. Methods: Following IAUCUC approval, 8 diet-induced obesity (DIO) C57BL/6 mice were obtained along with 6 non-obese C57BL/6 control mice. DIO mice were fed a high-fat diet (60% fat by kcal) ad libitum starting at the age of 6 weeks. Control mice were administered a standard low-fat diet (10% fat by kcal) ad libitum from birth. Starting at 14 weeks-old, all mice underwent a controlled, high-intensity cardiovascular training protocol using a rodent treadmill four times per week at 30 minute intervals. This was carried out for seven weeks including a one-week acclimation period. Speed, distance and time were held constant between groups. Weekly hind-paw sensory assessments were performed including von Frey filament and hotplate testing. Anteroposterior and mediolateral X-Rays were obtained at the beginning and conclusion of the study and radiographic analysis was performed bilaterally for all specimens. Lastly, histopathologic analysis was performed to assess musculoskeletal destructive changes to the hind-paw. Results: Baseline hotplate testing revealed that obese and non-obese mice did not differ in thermal response latency (p=0.53), however following the seven-week running protocol, obese mice demonstrated increased thermal response latency compared to controls (p=0.006). Von Frey filament testing in obese mice depicted significantly reduced hind-paw withdrawal reflexes compared to controls, both prior-to and following treadmill running (p

Category: Hindfoot Introduction/Purpose: The pathophysiology of adult-acquired flatfoot deformity (AAFD) is not fully explained by degeneration of the posterior tibial tendon alone. While a shortened or dysplastic lateral column has been implicated in flatfoot deformity in pediatric population, there is no study that has quantified the degree of shortening or dysplasia in adults with a stage IIb flatfoot deformity, or if any exists at all. The purpose of this study was to use reconstructive 3D modeling from computed tomography (CT) scans of the calcaneus in order to perform three-dimensional morphometric measurements of the lateral column in patients with stage IIb posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD) compared to controls in an effort to better understand the morphology of patients with AAFD. Methods: After IRB approval, an institutional radiology database was queried for patients with PTTD who had CT performed between January 2011 and June 2016. Controls were patients receiving CT scan for an intraarticular distal tibia fracture without preexisting foot or calcaneal pathology. Clinical office notes, physical examination, and weight-bearing radiographs were used to identify patients that met clinical criteria for stage IIb PTTD. A 1:1 match was performed using age, laterality, gender, and BMI. Morphometric measurements of the calcanei were performed involving the length of the calcaneal axis (LCA), height of the anterior process (HAP), and length of the anterior process (LAP) (Figure 1). Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the differences between control and PTTD patients with respect to LAP, HAP, and LCA measurements, with also considering measurements from 3 independent observers. We considered a difference of ± 4 mm as our threshold of clinical significance. Results: Of the 3586 CT within our institutional database, a total of 14 patients were available for reconstruction and analysis. There were no statistical differences detected between patient characteristics or demographics between these groups. On average, the long axis of the calcaneus (LCA) was 3.1 mm shorter (95% confidence interval: 0.43-5.76 mm) in patients with stage IIb PTTD compared to controls (p

Category: Other Introduction/Purpose: Below the knee amputation (BKA) is an effective surgical procedure for individuals with severe injury or infection to their lower extremities. However, patients who receive these procedures are subject to significant morbidity and a high rate of postoperative complications due to the presence of multiple concomitant comorbidities. Despite the wide practice of this intervention, prognostic risk factors aiding in predicting surgical outcomes in these patients are poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to evaluate risk factors that may contribute to the outcomes of BKA procedures. Methods: The clinical and radiographic outcomes for 89 patients ages 19-90 who underwent BKA were retrospectively evaluated from 2012-2017. Postoperative complications of mortality, infection, and reoperation were evaluated with patient and surgical variables. Patient variables included: age, ambulatory status, obesity, diabetes, HbA1C2 levels, neuropathy, smoking, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification. Surgical variables evaluated included: presence of pre-op infection, pre-op ambulatory status, tourniquet time, tourniquet pressure, and usage of prophylactic antibiotics. Results: Of the patients evaluated there was an overall complication rate of 49% (44/89) and a mortality rate of 19% (17/89). Patients with diabetes (p=.035), a greater score on the Charlson Comorbidity Index (p=.001), and an ASA classification =3 (p=.005) were associated with a greater risk of mortality. Operative values (i.e. tourniquet time, tourniquet pressure etc.) did not affect patient mortality rates in a significant way, but there was a higher incidence of complications (i.e. mortality, post-op infections, and reoperations) with patients with pre-operative infections. Conclusion: Diabetes, a higher CCI score and a greater ASA value were found to be significant predictors of patient mortality after BKA (p