Deformity and Clinical Outcomes Following Operative Correction of Charcot Ankle

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Harkin ◽  
Andrew M. Schneider ◽  
Michael Murphy ◽  
Adam P. Schiff ◽  
Michael S. Pinzur

Background: Deformity associated with Charcot foot arthropathy leads to a poor quality of life in affected individuals. Deformity in the midfoot appears to be predictive of clinical outcomes following operative correction. The goal of this retrospective study was to determine if that same methodology could be applied to patients treated for Charcot foot arthropathy involving the ankle joint. Methods: Fifty-six consecutive patients underwent operative reconstruction of Charcot foot deformity involving the ankle joint by a single surgeon over a 14-year period. Preoperative patient characteristics and tibiotalar alignment, were recorded. Surgical treatment included single-stage debridement of active infection and ankle arthrodesis with application of a circular external fixator when infection was present (39 of 56, 69.6%) or retrograde locked intramedullary nailing in the absence of infection (17 of 56, 30.3%). Clinical outcomes were graded based on limb salvage, resolution of infection and chronic wounds, and the ability to ambulate with therapeutic footwear or accommodative orthoses. The average follow-up was 7.5 (range 1.1-14.0) years. Results: One patient died at 134.3 weeks following surgery of unrelated causes and 8 underwent amputation. Twenty-eight of 56 patients (50.0%) achieved a favorable (excellent or good) clinical outcome. There was no significant association between pre- or postoperative alignment and clinical outcomes. Insulin-dependent diabetics were approximately 3 times more likely to have a poor clinical outcome. Conclusions: Operative correction of Charcot deformity involving the ankle joint was associated with a high complication rate and risk for failure. The lessons learned from this highly comorbid patient population with complex deformities can be used as a benchmark for applying modern surgical techniques. Level of Evidence: Level IV, case series.

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 2473011419S0043
Author(s):  
Stephen Wallace ◽  
Tomas E. Liskutin ◽  
Adam P. Schiff ◽  
Michael S. Pinzur

Category: Ankle, Ankle Arthritis, Diabetes, Hindfoot, Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Deformity associated with Charcot Foot Arthropathy leads to a poor quality of life in affected individuals. Deformity in the midfoot appears to be predictive of clinical outcomes following surgical correction. The goal of this retrospective study was to determine if that same methodology could be applied to patients treated for Charcot Foot Arthropathy involving the ankle joint. Methods: Fifty-six consecutive patients underwent surgical reconstruction of Charcot Foot deformity involving the ankle joint by a single surgeon over a fourteen year period. Preoperative patient characteristics and tibiotalar alignment, were recorded. Surgical treatment included single stage debridement of active infection and ankle arthrodesis with application of a circular external fixator when infection was present (39 of 56, 69.6%) or retrograde locked intramedullary nailing in the absence of infection (17 of 56, 30.3%). Clinical outcomes were graded based on limb salvage, resolution of infection and chronic wounds, and the ability to ambulate with therapeutic footwear or accommodative orthoses. The average follow-up was 7.5 (range 1.1-14.0) years. Results: One patient died at 134.3 weeks following surgery of unrelated causes and 8 underwent amputation. Twenty eight of 56 patients (50.0%) achieved a favorable (excellent or good) clinical outcome. There was no significant association between preoperative or postoperative alignment and clinical outcomes. Insulin-dependent diabetics were approximately 3 times more likely to have a poor clinical outcome. Conclusion: Surgical correction of Charcot deformity involving the ankle joint was associated with a high complication rate and risk for failure. The lessons learned from this highly co-morbid patient population with complex deformities can be used as a benchmark for applying modern surgical techniques.


2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S. Pinzur ◽  
Adam P. Schiff

Background: The historic treatment of Charcot foot arthropathy has been immobilization during the active phase of the disease process, followed by accommodative bracing of the acquired deformity. Evidence derived from modern patient-reported outcomes investigations has convinced many surgeons to attempt operative correction of the acquired deformity with a goal of improving quality of life. Methods: Over a 12-year period, 214 patients (9 bilateral) underwent reconstruction of the acquired deformity associated with midtarsal Charcot foot arthropathy. Over time, 3 patterns of deformity were observed based on weight-bearing pattern, relationship of the forefoot to the hindfoot, and integrity of the talocalcaneal joint. A valgus deformity pattern was present in 138, varus in 48, and dislocation of the talocalcaneal joint in 37. A consistent operative strategy was employed. Surgery included percutaneous tendon-Achilles lengthening, resection of infection when present, attempted correction of the structural deformity by wedge resection at the apex of the deformity, and immobilization with a 3-level static circular external fixator. Additional deformity pattern-specific procedures were added over time. Clinical outcomes were based on the historic metrics of limb salvage and resolution of infection and the functional metric of the ability to walk with commercially available therapeutic footwear. Results: Seven patients died within a year of surgery, and 15 underwent partial- or whole-foot amputation. Overall, 173 of 223 feet (77.6%) achieved a favorable clinical outcome. Patients with a valgus deformity pattern were most likely to achieve a favorable clinical outcome (120 of 138, 87.0%). Patients with a dislocation pattern were less likely to achieve a favorable clinical outcome (26 of 37, 70.3%), and those with a varus deformity pattern were least likely to achieve a favorable clinical outcome (27 of 48, 56.3%). Conclusions: Operative correction of the acquired deformity of Charcot foot arthropathy was performed with a goal of improving quality of life. Stratification of patients by deformity pattern allowed alterations of the basic surgery to afford improved outcomes. In addition to achieving historic goals of resolution of infection and limb salvage, almost 80% of the patients were able to achieve the functional goal of independent ambulation with commercially available therapeutic footwear. The clinical outcomes achieved in this retrospective case series appear to support the modern paradigm of operative correction of deformity in this complex patient population. This realistic appreciation of outcome expectations should both be helpful in counseling patients on the risk-benefit ratio associated with surgery and provide a benchmark to measure newer strategies of treatment. Level of Evidence: Level IV, retrospective case series.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 808-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen Kroin ◽  
Edwin O. Chaharbakhshi ◽  
Adam Schiff ◽  
Michael S. Pinzur

Background: Patients with Charcot foot arthropathy report a poor quality of life following the development of deformity. Their quality of life is often not improved with “successful” historic accommodative treatment. There is increased current interest in operative correction of the acquired deformity with the stated goals of achieving both the traditional goals of resolution of infection and limb salvage as well as the desire to improve quality of life. The Short Musculoskeletal Functional Assessment (SMFA) outcomes instrument appears to be a valid tool for evaluating this complex patient population. Methods: Twenty-five consecutive patients undergoing operative reconstruction for nonplantigrade midtarsal Charcot foot arthropathy completed the SMFA patient-reported outcomes instrument prior to surgery, with 24 completing it at 1 year following the surgery. One patient died during the year following surgery from unrelated causes. Results: There was an 11.5-point (95% confidence interval [CI]: –19.7 to −3.2) decrease in the standardized functional index ( P = .01). Similarly, there was a 12.4-point (95% CI: –22.5 to −2.3) decrease in the standardized bother index ( P = .02). The standardized daily activity index demonstrated a 19.6-point decrease (95% CI: –30.5 to −8.6, P = .002), and there was a 14.7-point (95% CI: –24.1 to −5.3) decrease in the standardized emotion index ( P = .004). There was no meaningful change in the standardized arm/hand index ( P = .81). Conclusion: The results of this investigation demonstrate that successful operative reconstruction of midtarsal Charcot foot arthropathy improved quality of life. This supports the modern paradigm shift from immobilization during the active phase of the disease process followed by simple accommodation of the acquired deformity to the modern interest in operative correction to allow the use of commercially available therapeutic footwear. Level of Evidence: Level IV, case series.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 2473011418S0024
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Harkin ◽  
Andrew Schneider ◽  
Michael Murphy ◽  
Adam Schiff ◽  
Michael Pinzur

Category: Diabetes Introduction/Purpose: Charcot Foot is a complex neuro-arthropathy associated with acquired progressive deformity and a significant impact to patients’ quality of life. Recent reports have suggested that preoperative deformity is predictive of clinical outcomes following surgical correction of the acquired deformity associated with midtarsal diabetes-related Charcot Foot arthropathy. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed of 56 patients who underwent surgical reconstruction of Charcot ankle arthropathy by a single surgeon over a 14-year time period. Preoperative tibiotalar alignment was reviewed in the coronal and sagittal plane. Preoperative patient characteristics including age, sex, hemoglobin A1c, BMI, insulin use, and presence of a wound or infection at the time of surgery were also recorded. Preoperative coronal plane deformity was observed as valgus 16/56 (28.6%), varus 31/56 (55.4%), and neutral 9/56 (16.1%). Surgery included debridement of active infection when present, corrective osteotomies, and an attempt at ankle arthrodesis with application of a ringed external fixator (39 of 56, 69.6%) when infection was present or retrograde intramedullary nail (17 of 56, 30.3%). Clinical outcomes of excellent, good, or poor were based on limb salvage, resolution of infection and chronic wounds, and the ability to ambulate with either a CROW, AFO, or therapeutic diabetic footwear. Results: The average total patient follow-up time from index surgery was 115.4 weeks. One patient died after 134.3 weeks of follow-up and 8 underwent amputation. The post-operative complication rate was 69.6% (39 of 56), 79.5% (31 of 39) of which underwent re-operation. Ultimately, only 25 of 55 patients (45.5%) achieved a favorable (excellent or good) clinical outcome. There was no meaningful association between surgical outcome, post-operative complication, reoperation, and amputation and patients’ pre-operative alignment, final alignment, treatment with either ex-fix or IMN, the presence of a wound or infection, age, HgA1c, or BMI. However, compared to insulin dependent diabetics, those not taking insulin were only 0.34 times as likely to have a poor outcome. Conclusion: Operative fixation of Charcot ankle arthropathy was performed with a goal of achieving a plantigrade post for ambulation void of infection or chronic wounds and easily accommodated with a supportive orthosis. This retrospective case series demonstrates a high complication rate in this complex patient population. Clinical outcomes of Charcot ankle can be used to counsel patients on the risks of surgical correction and as a benchmark for improved treatment strategies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (11) ◽  
pp. 2700-2706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas Willinger ◽  
Lucca Lacheta ◽  
Knut Beitzel ◽  
Stefan Buchmann ◽  
Klaus Woertler ◽  
...  

Background: The retear rate after primary rotator cuff (RC) reconstruction is high and commonly leads to poorer clinical outcomes and shoulder function. In the case of primary failure, revision RC reconstruction (RCR) has become increasingly important to re-create RC integrity and improve outcomes. To date, clinical and structural outcomes after RCR have not been sufficiently investigated and described at midterm follow-up. Hypothesis/Purpose: The purpose was to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes after revision RCR. It was hypothesized that revision RCR significantly improves clinical outcomes and that the outcomes positively correlate with tendon integrity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Patients who underwent revision RCR between 2008 and 2014 were retrospectively evaluated with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Outcomes were assessed by a clinical examination, a visual analog scale for pain (VAS), the Constant Score (CS), the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score. Tendon integrity was determined using 3-T MRI and graded according to the Sugaya classification. Results: Thirty-one of 40 patients (77.5%) were available for the final assessment at a mean follow-up of 50.3 ± 20.4 months. Clinical outcome scores significantly improved from preoperatively to postoperatively for the CS (39.7 ± 16.7 to 65.1 ± 19.7; P < .001), ASES (44.2 ± 17.7 to 75.2 ± 24.8; P < .001), and DASH (68.6 ± 15.1 to 21.5 ± 19.1; P < .001). The VAS score decreased from 6.1 ± 1.8 preoperatively to 1.3 ± 1.8 at final follow-up ( P < .001). MRI demonstrated a retear rate of 55.5%. No differences in CS, ASES, and DASH scores were detected between patients with an intact repair and failure. Abduction strength was not significantly different in patients with an intact repair and retears (55.5 N vs 44.0 N, respectively, P = .52). Conclusion: Revision RCR improves clinical outcomes and shoulder function at midterm follow-up. The clinical outcome scores were comparable in patients with an intact repair and those with failed RC healing. Therefore, tendon integrity was not correlated with better clinical outcomes after revision RCR at final follow-up.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S. Barnum ◽  
Evan D. Boyd ◽  
Annabelle P. Davey ◽  
Andrew Slauterbeck ◽  
James R. Slauterbeck

Abstract PurposeFocal articular cartilage injuries are common and may lead to progression of osteoarthritis. The complications associated with traditional treatment strategies have influenced the development of new biotechnologies, such as the ProChondrix® osteochondral allograft. Clinical evidence on the outcomes associated with ProChondrix® osteochondral allografts are limited. Thus, the primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes following treatment of an isolated cartilage defect with a ProChondrix® osteochondral allograft implant.MethodsRetrospective analysis of patients who underwent a cartilage restoration procedure using ProChondrix® osteochondral allograft has been performed. Patients completed patient-reported outcome surveys which included the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), consisting of the 5 subscales of Pain, Symptoms, Activities of Daily Living, Sports and Recreation, and Quality of Life, the Marx Activity Scale, and the visual analog pain scale.ResultsSix patients underwent a cartilage restoration procedure using ProChondrix® between January 2016 and December 2019. Three males and three females were included with a median age of 33.5 years (range 18–48 years). The median follow-up duration was 15 months (range 9–24 months). There were 4 patellar grafts, 1 medial femoral condyle graft, and 1 lateral femoral condyle graft, with a median defect size of 18.5mm (range 13-20mm). At the most recent clinical follow-up, all six patients were pain free and all patients had returned to pre-op activity level.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this is the first study to report the clinical outcome, activity level, and patient orientated outcomes in a case series of patients following treatment of an isolated cartilage defect with a ProChondrix® osteochondral allograft implant. Our study demonstrates promising short-term results in patient reported clinical outcome scores.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksander Mahnic ◽  
Vesna Breznik ◽  
Maja Bombek Ihan ◽  
Maja Rupnik

AbstractChronic wounds are a prominent health concern affecting 0.2% of individuals in the Western population. Microbial colonization and the consequent infection contribute significantly to the healing process of chronic wounds. We have compared cultivation and 16S amplicon sequencing (16S-AS) for the characterization of bacterial populations in swabs and biopsy tissues obtained from 45 chronic wounds and analysed metadata for wound-specific and clinical-outcome-associated correlations with bacterial community structure.Using cultivation approach, we detected a total of 39 bacterial species, on average 2.89 per sample (SD=1.93). Comparison of cultivation results between swabs and biopsy samples showed no significant advantage of one sampling method over the other. 16S-AS was advantageous in comparison to the cultivation approach in case of highly diverse communities, where we could additionally detect numerous obligate and facultative anaerobic bacteria from genera Anaerococcus, Finegoldia, Porphyromonas, Morganella and Providencia. Based on the community diversity, chronic wound microbiota could be distributed into three groups, however, no correlation between groups and clinical outcome was observed. Clinically estimated presence of biofilm and a larger surface area at the initial visit were most significantly associated with unfavourable clinical outcomes after one-year follow-up visit. Corynebacterium was the single most predictive bacterial genus associated with unfavourable clinical outcomes in our study.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 232596712090372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis J. Dekker ◽  
Matthew D. Crawford ◽  
Nicholas N. DePhillipo ◽  
Mitchell I. Kennedy ◽  
W. Jeffrey Grantham ◽  
...  

Background: Clinical outcomes pertaining to isolated lateral fabellectomy in the setting of fabella syndrome are limited to small case reports at this time. Purpose: To assess the most common presenting symptoms, clinical outcomes, and satisfaction after fabella excision in the setting of fabella syndrome. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Consecutive patients with a minimum of 21-month follow-up after isolated fabellectomy for fabella syndrome were reviewed retrospectively. Clinical outcome scores of the following domains were collected: Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score and Lysholm knee survey, along with a simple numeric patient satisfaction score (range, 1-10; 10 = “very satisfied”). Statistical analysis was performed using paired t tests for all clinical outcome data. Results: A total of 11 isolated fabella excisions were included in 10 patients with isolated lateral-sided knee pain in the setting of fabella syndrome (8 males, 2 females), with a mean age of 36.9 years (range, 23-58 years) and a mean follow-up of 2.4 years (range, 21-47 months). A total of 8 patients (80%) were able to return to full desired activities, including sports. Only 5 of 11 (45%) excisions had concomitant lateral femoral condyle cartilage pathology. There were significant improvements across multiple WOMAC domains, and the WOMAC total score improved from 28.5 ± 17.6 preoperatively to 11.6 ± 10.2 postoperatively ( P < .05). Lysholm scores significantly improved from 66.6 ± 23.1 preoperatively to 80.2 ± 13.9 postoperatively ( P = .044). Overall patient-reported satisfaction was 8.8 ± 1.6. Conclusion: Fabella excision in the setting of fabella syndrome demonstrated improvements in clinical outcome scores, high rate of returning to preinjury level of activities, and low risk of complications or need for additional surgical procedures.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 2473011417S0000
Author(s):  
Michael Pinzur ◽  
Adam Schiff

Category: Diabetes Introduction/Purpose: There is growing acceptance that the historic accommodative treatment of the acquired deformity associated with Charcot Foot arthropathy leads to very poor patient reported outcomes. Surgical correction of the acquired deformity is now advised with the goals of improving ambulation and quality of life. Methods: Over a twelve-year period, 214 consecutive patients (9 bilateral) underwent surgi-cal reconstruction of the acquired deformity associated with symptomatic midtarsal dia-betes- associated Charcot Foot arthropathy. The patterns of midtarsal deformity were ar-bitrarily stratified into three clinical groups based on observed weight bearing pattern, radiographic relationship of the forefoot to the hindfoot and integrity of the talo-calcaneal joint. All patients were followed for a minimum of one year. All had weight bearing radiographs before surgery and at a minimum of one year following surgery. A VALGUS deformity pattern was present in 138, VARUS in 48 and DISLOCATION of the talo-calcaneal joint in 37. Surgery included tendon-Achilles lengthening and an attempt at bony correction of the non-plantigrade clinical deformity. Immobilization in all cases was accomplished with a three level static circular external fixator. Clinical outcomes were based on suc-cessfu1 resolution of infection and the ability to resume independent walking with com-mercially-available therapeutic footwear. Results: Seven patients died within a year of surgery. Overall, 173 of 216 feet (80.1%) achieved a favorable clinical outcome rating. The VALGUS deformity pattern was the most common, with 120 of 138 patients (89.6%) achieving a favorable clinical outcome rating. There were two transtibial and one transmetatarsal amputations in this group. Twenty-seven of the 48 patients (58.7%) with a VARUS deformity pattern achieved a favorable clinical outcome rating, with seven undergoing transtibial, one Syme’s and one transmetatarsal amputation. There were thirty- seven patients with a valgus deformity pattern characterized by loss of integrity, i.e. DISLOCATION, of the talo-calcaneal joint. Correction of deformity and a favorable clinical outcome rating was achieved in twenty-six (72.2%), with one knee disarticulation and two transtibial amputations. Conclusion: Overall, 176 of 223 (77.6%) patients, many with severe structural deformity and osteomyelitis, achieved a favorable clinical outcome. Patients with a VARUS deformity pattern, or loss of integrity of the talocalcaneal joint, were less likely to achieve a favora-ble clinical outcome rating. This retrospective case series suggests a reasonably good probability of improving clinical outcomes in this complex patient population. This de-formity stratification should be helpful going forward when counseling patients with non-plantigrade diabetes- associated Charcot Foot deformity on the risk-benefit ratio associat-ed with surgical correction of their acquired deformity.


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