scholarly journals Surgical Trends in the Treatment of Acute Achilles Ruptures

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 2473011416S0001
Author(s):  
Bryant Ho ◽  
Sandeep Soin ◽  
Ashlee MacDonald ◽  
Judith Baumhauer ◽  
John Ketz

Category: Sports Introduction/Purpose: Historically, nonoperative treatment of acute Achilles tendon ruptures was felt to have significant re-rupture rates. With improved functional rehabilitation, recent studies have shown decreased rates of tendon re-rupture. Recent randomized control trials circa 2010 have shown no difference in re-ruptures between early functional rehabilitation and surgical repair. The goal of this study was to evaluate trends in surgical treatment of Achilles ruptures, based on data obtained from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS), in response to evolving level I evidence. Methods: All operative cases submitted by part II applicants from 2003 to 2015 for primary board certification by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) were retrospectively reviewed. Isolated primary Achilles tendon repairs for acute ruptures were identified by ICD-9 and CPT code. Surgeon information including fellowship training and geographic region, and patient information including age, sex, and complications were collected. Results: Out of 1,118,457 cases, there were 4792 Achilles repairs (0.43%) with 510 complications (10.6%). The rate of Achilles repairs increased from 2006 to 2010, when rates peaked at 0.57% of all collected cases (Figure 1). Since 2010, there has been a decrease in rates back to pre-2006 values. The changing rates appear to be largely driven by non-fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeons. The rates of sports and foot and ankle fellowship trained surgeons had mild increases in 2006 and decreases in 2010, but overall have slightly increased. The rate for patients greater than 65 have decreased from 2002 to 2004. Since then, there have been yearly variations, with minimal overall change. Examination of regional differences demonstrate the greatest change in the Northeast. All regions had increased rates in 2006 and decreased rates in 2010, with the exception of the Northwest and South regions, who showed little overall change. Conclusion: Surgical trends for Achilles ruptures corresponded closely to high impact level 1 publications in the literature in 2005 and 2010, suggesting evidence-based responsiveness in newly trained orthopaedic surgeons. These trends are less pronounced in the Northwest and South regions and for sports and foot and ankle specialists.

2021 ◽  
Vol 103-B (6) ◽  
pp. 1021-1030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuan Liu ◽  
Tian-Jiao Dai ◽  
Bao-Lin Li ◽  
Chen Li ◽  
Zhou-Yuan Zheng ◽  
...  

Aims The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the prognosis after early functional rehabilitation or traditional immobilization in patients who underwent operative or nonoperative treatment for rupture of the Achilles tendon. Methods PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from their inception to 3 June 2020, using keywords related to rupture of the Achilles tendon and rehabilitation. Data extraction was undertaken by independent reviewers and subgroup analyses were performed based on the form of treatment. Risk ratios (RRs) and weighted mean differences (WMDs) (with 95% confidence intervals (CIs)) were used as summary association measures. Results We included 19 trials with a total of 1,758 patients. There was no difference between the re-rupture rate (RR 0.84 (95% CI 0.56 to 1.28); p = 0.423), time to return to work (WMD -1.29 (95% CI -2.63 to 0.05); p = 0.060), and sporting activity (WMD -1.50 (95% CI -4.36 to 1.37); p = 0.306) between the early functional rehabilitation and the traditional immobilization treatment strategies. Early rehabilitation up to 12 weeks yielded significantly better Achilles tendon Total Rupture Scores ((ATRS) WMD 5.11 (95% CI 2.10 to 8.12); p < 0.001). Patients who underwent functional rehabilitation had significantly lower limb symmetry index of heel-rise work ((HRW) WMD -4.19 (95% CI -8.20 to 0.17); p = 0.041) at one year. Conclusion Early functional rehabilitation is safe and provides better early function and the same functional outcome in the longer term. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(6):1021–1030.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-152
Author(s):  
Cory F. Janney ◽  
Daniel Kunzler ◽  
Pejma Shazadeh Safavi ◽  
Vinod Panchbhavi

Background. Residency programs use the annual Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE) prepared by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) to monitor resident progress and prepare them for the part 1 of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons (ABOS) Certifying Examination. The purpose of this study was to determine resources residents currently use to prepare for the OITE and also to learn about their perception of training they receive in the foot and ankle subspecialty in their program and their interest in foot and ankle fellowship after residency. Methods. An anonymous survey was sent to both allopathic programs and osteopathic residents to learn what resources residents used to study for the OITE, preparatory question sets, on-call resources, their perception on training received in foot and ankle surgery, and their intent to pursue fellowship training. Results. A total of 130 residents participated in the survey. The majority of residents in allopathic and osteopathic residencies used Orthobullets (OB) to prepare for the OITE and use this resource while on-call. Most residents also used OB question sets to study along with the AAOS self-assessment examinations. In total, 43.2% of osteopathic residents felt they did not get enough exposure to foot and ankle subspecialty while in training, in contrast to 31.2% of allopathic residents. A total of 35% of all orthopaedic surgery residents felt they lacked enough exposure to foot and ankle orthopaedic surgery. Only 7 residents (6%, 6 allopathic, 1 osteopathic) intended to pursue a foot and ankle fellowship following graduation. Conclusion. Online resources such as OB continue to be frequently used by residents for preparation for the OITE. Greater than one-third of orthopaedic residents feel they do not get enough exposure to foot and ankle orthopaedic surgery. Improvement in this area could be helped by continued endeavors from the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society such as the Visiting Professor Program and Resident Scholarship Program. Levels of Evidence: Level V: Single Cross-Sectional Study


2020 ◽  
pp. 193864002098092
Author(s):  
Cornelia Keyser ◽  
Abhiram Bhashyam ◽  
Abdurrahman Abdurrob ◽  
Jeremy T. Smith ◽  
Eric Bluman ◽  
...  

Background Previous research indicates low disposal rates of excess postoperative narcotics, leaving them available for diversion or abuse. This study examined the effect of introducing a portable disposal device on excess opiate opioid disposal rates after lower extremity orthopaedic surgery. Methods This was a single site randomized control trial within an outpatient orthopaedic clinic. All patients 18 years or older, undergoing outpatient foot and ankle surgery between December 1, 2017 and August 1, 2018 were eligible. Patients were prospectively enrolled and randomized to receive standard opioid disposal instructions or a drug deactivation device at 2-week postoperative appointments. Participants completed an anonymous survey at 6-week postoperative appointments. Results Of the 75 patients surveyed, 68% (n = 26) of the experimental group and 56% (n = 21) of the control group had unused opioid medication. Of these, 84.6% of patients who were given Deterra Drug Deactivation System deactivation pouches safely disposed of excess medication, compared with 38% of controls (P = .003). When asked if they would use a disposal device for excess medication in the future, 97.4% (n = 37) of the experimental and 83.8% (n = 31) of the control group reported that they would. Conclusions Providing a portable disposal device with postoperative narcotic prescriptions may increase safe disposal rates of excess opioid medication following lower extremity orthopaedic surgery. Levels of Evidence Level I


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 2473011420S0004
Author(s):  
Rishin J. Kadakia ◽  
Keith Orland ◽  
Akhil Sharma ◽  
Jie Chen ◽  
Craig C. Akoh ◽  
...  

Category: Other Introduction/Purpose: Medical malpractice lawsuits can place significant economic and psychologic burden on a provider. Orthopaedic surgery is one of the most common subspecialties involved in malpractice claims. There is currently no study examining malpractice lawsuits within foot and ankle surgery. Accordingly, the purpose of this work is to examine trends in malpractice claims in foot and ankle surgery. Methods: The Westlaw legal database was queried for lawsuits pertaining to foot and ankle surgery from 2008 to 2018. Only cases involving medical malpractice were included for analysis. All available details pertaining to the cases were collected. This included plaintiff demographic and geographic data. Details regarding the cases were also collected such as anatomical location, pathology, complications, and case outcomes. Results: Forty nine malpractice lawsuits pertaining to foot and ankle were identified. Most plaintiffs in these cases were adult females, and the majority of cases occurred in the northeast (53.1%). The most common anatomical region involved in claims involved the forefoot (29%). The majority of these claims involved surgery (65%). Infection was the most common complication seen in claims (22%). The jury ruled in favor of the defendant surgeon in most cases (73%). Conclusion: This is the first study to examine trends in medical malpractice within foot and ankle surgery. Infection was the most frequent complication seen in claims and forefoot surgery was the most common anatomic location. A large portion of claims resulted after nonoperative treatment. A better understanding of the trends within malpractice claims is crucial to developing strategies for prevention.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 2473011418S0028
Author(s):  
Jonathan Kaplan ◽  
Jeffery Hillam ◽  
Amiethab Aiyer ◽  
Niall Smyth

Category: Sports Introduction/Purpose: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is an epidemic affecting millions of individuals in the United States. Multiple studies have demonstrated an increase in complications in foot and ankle surgery in patients with DM, including wound healing complications, surgical site infections (SSI), or surgical failure. The goal of this study was to retrospectively review outcomes data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) to determine the impact of DM on operative treatment of achilles tendon ruptures. Methods: Using the NSQIP from 2006-2015, patients were identified using common procedure terminology (CPT) for Achilles tendon ruptures. Diabetic and non-diabetic cohorts were evaluated to compare demographics, comorbidities, perioperative details and 30-day outcomes. Statistical evaluation included a power analysis for the primary outcome measure of wound disruption as well as univariate analysis was performed using chi-squared or Fisher’s exact and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results: A total of 2,014 patients were identified having sustained an Achilles tendon rupture. There were 1,981 patients without DM and 33 patients with DM. There were no significant differences in postoperative complications, including SSI, medical complications, and 30-day outcomes between patients with DM and non-DM patients undergoing surgical repair of acute Achilles tendon ruptures. The power analysis for wound disruption showed a P=0.9 with an alpha of 0.05, sample size of n=2014, and Pearson correlation coefficient of r=0.0721 Conclusion: While DM has been shown to have an increase in complications in various foot and ankle procedures, this study demonstrates that there is no significant difference in postoperative complications and 30-day outcomes between patients with DM and non-DM patients undergoing surgical repair of acute Achilles tendon ruptures using the NSQIP database from 2006-2015. Based on this data, patients with diabetes mellitus can be considered adequate surgical candidates for acute Achilles tendon rupture repair.


1997 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian K. Y. Lo ◽  
Alexandra Kirkley ◽  
Blake Nonweiler ◽  
Dinesh A. Kumbhare

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