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Syme's amputations can provide a reliable alternative to more proximal amputations, but they are not without their occasional complication. Varus heel pad migration has been well documented as a complication following Syme's amputations. We describe a technique of resection of soft tissue and bone combined with anchoring of the lateral band of the plantar fascia in order to treat patients with the complication of varus heel pad migration.

Partial foot amputations are frequently performed to salvage significant portions of the lower extremity affected by limb-threatening infection. Once healed, the residual foot is at high risk for reulceration. Careful long-term follow-up and appropriate interventions can lower this risk.

A retrospective chart review was performed on 11 patients (13 feet) who underwent a modified Keller procedure for the treatment of recalcitrant neuropathic diabetic ulcers to the plantar aspect of the hallux between 1994 and 1998 to evaluate the postoperative results and complications. Diabetic patients with hallux rigidus, adequate vascular status, documented peripheral neuropathy, and at least 6 months of conservative care for treatment of a Wagner grade I and II ulceration were included in the study. Patients with active soft tissue infections or osteomyelitis were excluded. All primary ulcers healed within 6 months postoperatively. After 1-year of follow-up, 8 feet remained completely free of ulcers and 5 transfer ulcers occurred. Four infections developed; 3 from the surgical wound and 1 from a transfer ulcer. Based on these findings, the modified Keller procedure may be an appropriate intervention for hallux ulcerations provided the surgeon and the patient are aware of its limitations and possible outcomes.

Malignant melanoma is increasing at a rate faster than any other cancer in the United States. Location of the primary tumor on the foot is associated with poorer prognosis. This study evaluates a cohort of 148 patients with melanoma of the lower extremity (37 foot or ankle and 111 leg, knee, or thigh) diagnosed at a university medical center during a 32-year period. The mean follow-up for the foot/ankle patients was 44 months. The overall 5-year survival rate was 52% for patients with a primary melanoma of the foot/ankle compared with 84% for patients with a primary melanoma elsewhere on the lower extremity. Although the study period extended over 32 years, nearly 65% of the foot/ankle patients were diagnosed in the last decade. This increase is most likely because of the documented increase in incidence of melanoma in the United States and an increasing referral pattern at our institution.

Evidence at the scene of death and the postmortem examination led the pathologist to conclude suicide by intentional insulin overdose. The examination was conducted one day after the patient's death. The amount of insulin injected is not known, but levels of insulin in the vitreous gel were extremely high. While glucose and insulin are more stable in vitreous than in postmortem blood, the longer the delay between death and sample collection, the greater the uncertainty of the exact concentrations of substances at the time of death [42]. Patients with diabetes may have at their disposal the resources to end their lives; misuse of insulin and suicide by insulin overdose are presumably underreported events. Not only do diabetics have insulin available, but they may also have narcotics, tricyclic antidepressants or other drugs that are toxic at high doses. Even in the absence of depression, all patients with diabetes face multiple emotional issues related to the diagnosis and course of the disease. Diabetes often requires significant lifestyle changes, such as diet and physical activity, upon its diagnosis. Patients face the possibility of long-term, possibly debilitating, complications: vision loss, sexual dysfunction, and amputation. Any podiatrist who treats a large number of diabetic patients will encounter the situation of a patient at risk of losing a limb. A patient may consciously or unconsciously view amputation as punishment; limb loss interferes physically with bodily function and has extensive emotional consequences as well. It is important for patients to be involved with a healthcare team (including primary care physician, nurse educator, ophthalmologist, and podiatrist) that provides support throughout their lives [3]. As learned early on in podiatry school, podiatric physicians don't treat feet; they treat patients who have foot problems. It is as important to know when to refer a patient to the primary care physician or a psychiatrist for mental health complaints as it is to know when to refer a patient to an orthopedic surgeon for hip pain or to an ophthalmologist for vision problems. We do not propose that this patient's diabetic foot disease was the direct cause of his depression and suicide; however, the prevalence of depression in the general population and its even higher rates in patients with chronic medical illness require awareness of these problems by all members of the medical profession.

Squamous cell carcinoma is a malignant tumor of the squamous epithelium and can occur in many different organs. We present a case of a 61-year-old veteran with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder with distal metastasis to the middle phalanx of the fourth toe, which is a rare occurrence in the literature. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 99(3): 251–253, 2009)

A retrospective evaluation of first metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis was performed on nine patients (12 feet) using two fixation techniques: a small compression plate and screws or two crossed lag screws. The joint surfaces were prepared with power conical reamers to allow for joint alignment and subsequent fusion. The average follow-up time was 6.9 months (range, 1.3 to 15 months) and, to date, all feet are successfully fused. No major postoperative complications or removal of internal fixation devices were noted in our retrospective study. This surgical technique was effective and reliable in achieving first metatarsophalangeal joint fusion, and it may serve as an alternative procedure to silicone implant or resection joint arthroplasty.

After the 1990 establishment of a multidisciplinary foot salvage clinic, 1346 diabetic patients, at high risk for the development of foot ulcers and eventual lower limb amputation, were followed for 4 years. Of the 224 high-risk patients admitted to the hospital, 74 amputations (5.5%) of all or part of a lower limb were performed. Patients undergoing amputation were younger, more severely ill, and required more frequent hospitalizations because of greater organ system involvement. They were also more likely to be institutionalized after discharge. Overall, patients with long-standing adult-onset diabetes, identified as at high risk for foot ulcer development, have a substantially increased risk for lower limb amputation, multiple organ system failure, hospitalization, and institutionalization than do diabetic patients as a whole. Clinical benchmarking facilitates the identification and reduction of unnecessary variations in patient care practices. Here, a formal benchmark analysis provides the current outcome expectations for amputation rates and co-morbidities in patients with diabetes who are classified as at high risk for lower extremity amputation. Management of these patients in a structured, multidisciplinary foot salvage clinic, augmentation of baseline services, and preliminary benchmark data may provide a standard for the measurement of therapeutic interventions that improve patient care.

This case report presents a rare postoperative dislocation of the fifth metatarsal base following a healed open partial fourth and fifth ray amputation of a 62-year-old male veteran with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. The dislocated fifth metatarsal base subsequently created a chronic ulceration and an inhibition of normal gait. The patient was taken to the operating room where the fifth metatarsal base was resected with transfer of the peroneus brevis tendon to the cuboid to maintain biomechanical stability. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 102(1): 71–74, 2012)

An amputation of the lower extremity is erroneously considered as a failure of conservative care or an unpreventable outcome of diabetes. In the diabetic population, a lower extremity amputation is often the result of ischemia or uncontrolled infection. This chapter discusses multiple factors that should be evaluated to optimize the outcome of any amputation. The technique and important intraoperative factors when performing an amputation are discussed. Following an amputation, a rehabilitation process is begun to return the patient back into the community. Discussed are the factors that influence a patient’s rehabilitation potential as a community ambulator.

Forty-nine feet in 47 patients with midfoot neuropathic foot deformity were referred for care to a comprehensive foot salvage clinic and followed for an average of 3.6 years. Twenty-three initially presented without open ulcers. Two underwent elective Syme's ankle disarticulation amputation, and the others were kept ambulatory with a combination of periods of nonweightbearing cast immobilization, accommodative extra-depth shoes with custom orthotics, and ankle-foot orthoses. Twenty-six of the feet initially presented for care with open ulcers and/or chronic osteomyelitis. Twenty-two of these patients underwent 32 surgical procedures. Sixteen underwent debridement of the infected bone and surrounding soft tissues. Excision of large, nonaccommodative boney prominence, termed ex-ostectomy, was performed in eight. Partial excision of the deformed midfoot combined with boney stabilization and attempted arthrodesis, termed partial tarsectomy, were performed in seven. All surgical patients were managed postoperatively with long-term custom accommodative bracing. Follow-up at an average of 3.6 years revealed that all but one of the patients remained ambulatory. Six walk with accommodative shoe gear and persistent stable chronic open ulcers. None required below-knee amputation. Five amputations were performed, three at the Syme's ankle disarticulation level, one at the Chopart's hind-foot level, and one at the mid-foot level. Neuropathic midfoot deformity is a disabling disorder that requires thorough patient education and compliance, prolonged palliative monitoring and care, accommodative orthotic shoe management, and selective surgery. It can markedly limit the patient's walking ability and independence. With careful monitoring and selective surgery to maintain a plantigrade foot, foot salvage and walking ability can be maintained. A treatment algorithm is presented to guide patient care.

Amputation of the foot may be indicated when neuropathy, vascular disease, and ulcerative deformity have led to soft tissue necrosis, osteomyelitis, uncontrollable infection, or intractable pain.

Foot amputation in the diabetic population can help maintain a patient's independent ambulation and function. Such surgery requires diligence of the surgeon and a watchful eye for the development of early and long-term complications. Careful adherence to the listed healing parameters can assist the surgeon in achieving healing rates of above 90%.

The etiology of ulcerations related to increased plantar pressure in patients with diabetes mellitus is complex but frequently includes a component of gastrocnemius soleus equinus. One viable treatment option is percutaneous tendo Achillis lengthening as a means of increasing dorsiflexory range of motion and decreasing forefoot shear forces. This article presents three case reports illustrating the importance of reducing plantar pressure as a crucial component of treatment of diabetic forefoot ulcerations. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 95(3): 281–284, 2005)

Syme ankle disarticulation is an amputation level that minimizes disability and preserves function, but it has been used sparingly in patients with diabetes mellitus. Surgeons have avoided this level because of the perceived high risk for wound failure, wound infection, or migration of the heel pad, which makes prosthesis use difficult.Ninety-seven adult patients with diabetes mellitus who underwent Syme ankle disarticulation because of a neuropathic foot with an infection or gangrene, or both, during an eleven-year period were studied retrospectively. Selection of the amputation level was made on the basis of clinical examination and an assessment of the wound-healing parameters, i.e., vascular inflow, tissue nutrition, and immunocompetence. The average age of the patients was 53.2 +/- 17.5 years.Eighty-two patients (84.5%) ultimately achieved wound-healing. When threshold levels for vascular inflow (ultrasound Doppler ischemic index of 0.5 or transcutaneous partial pressure of oxygen between 20 and 30 mm Hg) and tissue nutrition (serum albumin of 2.5 g/dL) were met, an overall success rate of 88% was achieved. Total lymphocyte count (an absolute lymphocyte count of 1500) and the smoking of cigarettes during the study period did not appear to impact wound-healing rates. The overall infection rate was 23%, and it was three times greater in smokers. Most infections were managed with local wound care and antibiotic therapy. At a minimum follow-up of two years, all but two patients were able to walk with a prosthesis. Thirty of the ninety-seven patients died at an average of 57.1 months following surgery.The results of this retrospective review support the value of Syme ankle disarticulation in diabetic patients with infection or gangrene. This function-sparing amputation can be successfully performed with a reasonable risk. Patients managed with a Syme ankle disarticulation appeared to remain able to walk better and to survive longer than similar patients who had a transtibial amputation and served as historical controls. In diabetic patients with dysvascular disease who have adequate vascular inflow to support wound-healing (an ultrasound Doppler ischemic index of 0.5 or a transcutaneous partial pressure of oxygen between 20 and 30 mm Hg), the threshold for the wound-healing parameter of serum albumin appears to be as low as 2.5 g/dL.

Quantitative strength analysis of first metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis was performed using two fixation techniques: a small 6-hole plate with an interfragmentary screw or two crossed lag screws. Twelve matched-pair fresh-frozen cadaveric specimens (24 trials) were used for direct comparison of each of the two fixation techniques. All joint surfaces were prepared with power conical reamers utilizing a standard technique. The fixation construct was stressed to failure on each specimen using a computer-integrated materials tester. Fixation stiffness defined as force (load) over displacement and point of ultimate failure was evaluated. The six-hole plate and interfragmentary screw fixation method was a statistically stiff er form of fixation (p > .01) and displayed a greater point of ultimate failure (p > .002) under the laboratory conditions.

In a retrospective review of 233 cases of diabetic foot ulceration preceded by minor trauma, 192 ulcerations exhibited focal pressure keratosis as the preceding traumatic event. The frequency of outpatient visits and other foot care interventions were correlated with the occurrence and severity of ulceration. Patients seen more frequently in an outpatient foot clinic had less severe ulcers and were less likely to undergo surgical treatment than those with less frequent visits. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 91(6): 275-279, 2001)

Qualitative analyses of midfoot stabilization in triple arthrodeses utilizing bone staple versus 4.5-mm cannulated cancellous screw fixation, with and without washers, were performed in fresh cadaveric specimens. Twenty-two trials (11 matched-pair feet) were used for direct comparison. Stiffness, defined as force/displacement, was determined at each talonavicular and calcaneocuboid joint. Ultimate load failure points of each specimen were also calculated. Trial results showed no statistically significant difference in stiffness or ultimate failure between these two forms of midfoot fixation for triple arthrodeses.

A 50-year-old man was treated conservatively for chronic bilateral ankle pain for several years. Plain radiographs obtained following exacerbation of symptoms showed bilateral enlarged peroneal processes. CT and MRI demonstrated bony detail of the unusual processes and also showed isolation of the peroneus longus tendons and associated tendinitis and partial tears.

Scientific structured foot salvage clinics will provide surgeons with a large population of peripheral vascular insufficiency patients who may someday become candidates for salvage amputation at the foot or ankle level. This article presents the technology of functional amputation levels.

Four diabetic patients with gangrene of the forefoot and infection ascending above the ankle were treated with open amputation of the foot combined with open fasciotomy and debridement of the involved proximal muscle compartments. All four patients healed their wounds and returned to their premorbid community ambulation status. The management and indications in these unusual patients are discussed.

A review of 64 midfoot amputations performed between 1980 and 1985 revealed that complications occurred in 42% of the series. These included early wound dehiscence and late re-ulceration after the patient began walking again. By providing aggressive management and appropriate local revisions, 84% of the original group's limbs were salvaged at a functionally significant level. These findings underscore the fact that midfoot amputation requires diligent immediate and long-term follow-up if an acceptable success rate is to be achieved.

Recent trends in amputation surgery favor amputation at the most distal level to preserve the patient's ability to walk. This paper reports the results of sixty-four amputations performed at the level of the middle of the foot in fifty-eight patients. All were performed in patients with peripheral vascular disease who had a diagnosis of either gangrene or resistant, nonhealing ulcers. Forty-three patients (74 per cent) had diabetes. Nutritional evaluation of the patient was used to improve the potential for healing. In the initial forty-six patients, a retrospective review of the serum albumin level, the blood total-lymphocyte count, and the Doppler ischemic index was performed. A prospective study was performed in the final twelve patients, in whom a minimum level in each of these three factors was required before the distal amputation was done. The healing rate for all sixty-four amputations was 81 per cent. When all three factors were above the minimum level, the healing rate was increased to 92.2 per cent. When one or two of the factors was below the minimum level, the rate of healing decreased to 38.5 per cent. Aggressive distal amputation can be performed with a high rate of success when the factors influencing the decision on the amputation level include non-invasive vascular testing and nutritional evaluation.

Twenty-nine ray resection amputations of the lower extremity were performed in 25 dysvascular patients during a four-year period. The indications for amputation were localized gangrene, resistant localized osteomyelitis of a metatarsal, or both. Specific criteria included: (1) foot Doppler pressure of 70 mm Hg, (2) ankle-arm Doppler arterial pressure ratio of at least 0.5, (3) lateral ray resection only when healthy tissue margins could easily be produced, and (4) central ray resection only for persistent deep infection resistant to local treatment. Only 31% healed without further amputation or ulceration. Analyzed retrospectively, the results demonstrate that ray resection has a poor potential for success in the presence of "localized" gangrene and is only moderately successful in the treatment of chronic resistant localized infection.