Nine patients treated surgically for Achilles tendon rupture (7 patients) or tendinosis (2 patients) with primary repair or debridement and augmentation with the flexor hallucis longus muscle-tendon unit were evaluated at a mean of 19 months postoperative. Subjective evaluation revealed a high level of satisfaction. All patients returned to work and only two patients reported limitation in their recreational activities. The mean post-operative AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot Score was 90 points. Four patients reported mild occasional pain and one patient complained of moderate daily pain. Motion assessment showed a 20% increase in the hallux MTP dorsiflexion compared to the non-operative side (p = 0.045). No difference in ankle motion was noted. Cybex II+ dynamic evaluation of plantarflexion peak torque was complete on both extremities. The torque deficit on the reconstructed extremity was 20% (p = 0.01) at 120 degrees per second and 26% (p = 0.003) at 30 degrees per second. There is no significant difference between the torque deficit recorded for patients with Achilles rupture and those with Achilles tendinosis. A trend toward improved torque production with longer follow up was observed.
Thirty consecutive patients underwent arthrodesis of the ankle using rigid internal fixation with cancellous screws between 1992 and 1996. One patient died of causes unrelated to the surgery before bony union. Primary fusion occurred in 27 of the remaining 29 patients (93%). The average time to primary union was 9 weeks. Two patients developed a delayed union and were treated with an additional bone-grafting procedure. Ultimately, each of the 29 patients went on to fusion. Use of tobacco during the postoperative period had no apparent effect on the rate of fusion or time to fusion. Twenty-five patients were available for clinical evaluation at an average of 24 months after surgery. Subjective evaluation using questionnaires revealed a high level of satisfaction. All patients stated that they would undergo the procedure again. The mean postoperative score on the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Scale was 81 points, compared with 48 points preoperatively (of a possible 100). Constant pain was the reason given by all patients for seeking treatment. After the arthrodesis, pain was reported as absent in 13 and occasional in 12 patients. All patients noted less pain in the hindfoot after fusion of the ankle. Active litigation and Workers' Compensation claims during the perioperative period had a significant negative effect on scores on the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Scale and seemed to decrease patients' perceived ability to return to work.
The intermediate outcome of patients who underwent a triple arthrodesis for the treatment of adult foot disorders was evaluated with an outcome tool to determine if their pain and functional status were improved. We evaluated 63 feet in 57 patients who underwent a triple arthrodesis using rigid internal fixation for the treatment of hindfoot deformities associated with symptomatic arthrosis. Twenty-four men and thirty-three women, with an average age of 54 years, were evaluated. The average follow-up was 30 months. Multiple diagnoses contributed to hindfoot deformities with secondary arthrosis. Iliac crest bone graft was used in 56 of 63 cases (89%). Percutaneous heel cord lengthening was done in 53 of 63 cases (84%). Twenty-four of the thirty patients (80%) returned to work. Twenty-five patients were retired and two were unemployed before surgery. All patients except two (97%) were satisfied with the surgery and would have the surgery again. The average American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot preoperative score was 28 points, and the average postoperative score was 81 points (P < 0.0001). In the radiographic measurements, there was an average improvement of 12 degrees in the lateral talometatarsal angle, 7 degrees in the lateral talocalcaneal angle, and 10 degrees in the AP talometatarsal angle (P < 0.0001). Complications experienced included two varus malunions, two valgus malunions, two nonunions, two deep vein thromboses, one distal fibula stress fracture, and one wound infection. Of the 26 feet in 22 patients with mortise views available, 10 feet (38%) had evidence of ankle arthrosis and 19 feet (73%) had some degree of talar tilt postoperatively.
Seven patients, with an average age of 53 years, were treated for bone loss or recalcitrant nonunions of the femur. The average duration from initial injury to presentation was 37 months (range 4-92 months). The patients had undergone one to eight (mean, 3.9) previous surgical attempts at achieving union. The nonunion involved the diaphysis in three patients, the diaphyseal-supracondylar junction in three patients, and the pertrochanteric region in one patient. All patients were treated using a standard lateral plate in combination with an endosteal plate and primary iliac crest bone grafting. The mean surgical time was 6.3 h, and the average blood loss was 1.7 L. There were three complications, including one superficial wound infection, one nonfatal pulmonary embolism, and one wound hematoma. At a mean follow-up of 12.6 months (range 4-24 months), all fractures had healed with an average time to union of 19.2 weeks (range 15-36 weeks). Knee flexion averaged 118 degrees (range 100-135 degrees), and all patients were satisfied with the operative procedure. Endosteal plating, in combination with a standard lateral plate and iliac crest bone-grafting, can successfully treat difficult nonunions of the femur.
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