Early Functional and Patient Reported Outcomes following Suture Tape Augmented Brostrom

Category: Ankle Introduction/Purpose: Immediately following a lateral ligament reconstruction the strength of the repair is far less than the native anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL). With early functional rehabilitation the repair has shown increased laxity. We hypothesized that a Brostrom augmented with a suture-tape construct would allow early functional rehabilitation while maintaining patient reported outcomes within a military population. Methods: This study is a retrospective cohort of 90 consecutive patients with chronic lateral ankle instability were treated with a Brostrom procedure augmented with a suture-tape construct. All had a preoperative MRI demonstrating ligament insufficiency, and was examined by an orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon. Subjects were evaluated at 2, 6 and 12 weeks postoperatively. Demographics including Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and clinical measures including single- leg hop and single-leg heel raise were recorded. The population included (14 women [18%], 76 men [84%] mean age of 29.47, BMI 27.3) active duty service members. Results: The mean FADI score pre-operatively (67) improved to 86 and 89 at 6 and 12 weeks. The VAS scores pre-operatively (4.8) improved to 1.4 and 1.3 at 6 and 12 weeks respectively. 95.5% (86/90) of patients were able to complete a single-leg hop and single-leg heel raise at 6 and 12 weeks. Conclusion: Our results suggest that a Brostrom augmented with suture-tape can allow for early functional rehabilitation in an active duty Military population.

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Suture Tape Augmented Broström Procedure and Early Accelerated Rehabilitation

Foot & Ankle International ◽

10.1177/1071100720959015 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 107110072095901

Author(s):

Kevin D. Martin ◽

Nolan N. Andres ◽

William H. Robinson

Keyword(s):

Case Series ◽

Lateral Ligament ◽

Anterior Talofibular Ligament ◽

Military Population ◽

Retrospective Case ◽

Functional Rehabilitation ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Patient Reported ◽

The Mean ◽

Suture Tape

Background: Immediately following a lateral ligament reconstruction of the ankle, the strength of the repair is far less than that of the native anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL). Additionally, early functional rehabilitation has been shown to increase laxity of the repair. We hypothesized that a Broström procedure augmented with a suture-tape construct would allow early functional rehabilitation while maintaining patient reported outcomes within a military population. Methods: This study is a retrospective study of 93 consecutive patients with chronic lateral ankle instability that were treated with a Broström procedure augmented with a suture-tape construct. Subjects were evaluated at 2, 6, and 12 weeks postoperatively, with yearly satisfaction reviews. Demographics and functional outcomes including Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI), visual analog scale (VAS), satisfaction score, and clinical measures including single-leg hop and single-leg heel raise were recorded. Our patients included 75 males and 18 females with a mean age of 30 ± 7 (range, 19-51) years; our mean follow-up was 19 (range, 3-48) months. Results: The mean FADI score improved from 67 preoperatively to 87 and 90 at 6 and 12 weeks ( P < .001), with 60 patients (65%) obtaining a score greater than 90. The mean VAS scores improved from 4.8 preoperatively to 1.4 and 1.3 at 6 and 12 weeks ( P < .001). Eighty-two (96%) of the patients asked were able to complete a single-leg hop and single-leg heel raise at 6 weeks. The 12-, 24-, 36-, and 48-month satisfaction scores were 8.5, 9.8, 9.2, and 8.9, respectively. Demographics collected did not impact results. Conclusion: This study suggests that a Broström procedure augmented with suture tape enabled early safe functional rehabilitation without subsequent failure. Our data also demonstrated a sustained high level of patient satisfaction while preventing reoccurrence within a high-demand military population. Level of Evidence: Level IV, retrospective case series.

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Traditional Modified Broström vs Suture Tape Ligament Augmentation

Foot & Ankle International ◽

10.1177/1071100720976071 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 107110072097607

Author(s):

Robert Kulwin ◽

Troy S. Watson ◽

Ryan Rigby ◽

J. Chris Coetzee ◽

Anand Vora

Keyword(s):

Ankle Instability ◽

Pain Scale ◽

Primary Outcome Measure ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Lateral Ligament ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Accelerated Rehabilitation ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Prospective Comparative Study ◽

Suture Tape

Background: The modified Broström (MB) procedure has long been the mainstay for the treatment of chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI). Recently, suture tape (ST) has emerged as augmentation for this repair. The clinical benefit of such augmentation has yet to be fully established. The purpose of this study was to determine if ST augmentation provides an advantage over the traditional MB. Methods: Adult patients were identified for inclusion in the study based on indications for primary lateral ligament reconstruction for CLAI. The primary outcome measure was time to return to preinjury level of activity (RTPAL). Secondary outcome measures included complications, ability to participate in an accelerated rehabilitation protocol (ARP), patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and visual analog pain scale (VAS). A total of 119 patients with CLAI were enrolled and randomized to the MB (59 patients) or ST (60 patients) treatment arm. Results: Average RTPAL was 17.5 weeks after MB and 13.3 weeks after ST ( P < .001). At 26 weeks, 12.5% of patients in the MB group and 3.6% of patients in the ST group had not managed RTPAL ( P = .14). The complication rate was 8.5% in the MB group vs 1.7% in the ST group ( P = .12). Four patients in the MB group failed to complete the ARP vs 1 in the ST group ( P = .144). Conclusion: Results from this multicenter, prospective, randomized trial suggest that ST augmentation allows for earlier RTPAL than MB alone. ST augmentation may support successful accelerated rehabilitation and did not result in increased complications or morbidity. Level of Evidence: Level II, prospective comparative study.

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Balance- and Strength-Training Protocols to Improve Chronic Ankle Instability Deficits, Part II: Assessing Patient-Reported Outcome Measures

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-387-16 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 53 (6) ◽

pp. 578-583 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Emily A. Hall ◽

Andrea K. Chomistek ◽

Jackie J. Kingma ◽

Carrie L. Docherty

Keyword(s):

Strength Training ◽

Patient Reported Outcomes ◽

Ankle Instability ◽

Foot And Ankle ◽

Physically Active ◽

Fear Avoidance Beliefs ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Ability Measure ◽

Training Protocol

Context: Assessing global, regional, and fear-of-reinjury outcomes in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) is critical to understanding the effectiveness of clinical interventions. Objective: To determine the improvement of patient-reported outcomes after balance- and strength-training and control protocols among participants with CAI. Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial. Setting: Athletic training research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Thirty-nine volunteers with CAI who scored 11 or greater on the Identification of Functional Ankle Instability questionnaire were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: balance-training protocol (7 males, 6 females; age = 23.5 ± 6.5 years, height = 175.0 ± 8.5 cm, mass = 72.8 ± 10.9 kg), strength-training protocol (8 males, 5 females; age = 24.6 ± 7.7 years, height = 173.2 ± 9.0 cm, mass = 76.0 ± 16.2 kg), or control (6 males, 7 females; age = 24.8 ± 9.0 years, height = 175.5 ± 8.4 cm, mass = 79.1 ± 16.8 kg). Intervention(s): Each group met for 20 minutes, 3 times each week, for 6 weeks. The control group completed a mild to moderately strenuous bicycle workout. Main Outcome Measure(s): Global patient-reported outcomes, regional ankle function, and perceived instability were measured using the Disablement in the Physically Active Scale, the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure, and a visual analog scale for perceived instability. Participants completed the questionnaires at pretest and 6 weeks posttest. A multivariate repeated-measures analysis of variance with follow-up univariate analysis was conducted. The α level was set a priori at .05. Results: No time-by-group interaction was found (P = .78, η2 = 0.09). However, we observed a main effect for time (P = .001, η2 = 0.49). Follow-up univariate analyses revealed differences between the pretest and posttest for the Disablement in the Physically Active Scale (P = .02, η2 = 0.15), Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (P = .001, η2 = 0.27), Foot and Ankle Ability Measure–Activities of Daily Living subscale (P = .003, η2 = 0.22), Foot and Ankle Ability Measure–Sport subscale (P = .001, η2 = 0.36), and visual analog scale (P = .008, η2 = 0.18). Conclusions: Statistically, after the 6-week intervention, all groups improved in global and regional health-related quality of life. Clinicians should compare patient-reported outcomes with clinical measures to have a better understanding of progression during rehabilitation.

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Augmented Ligament Reconstruction Partially Restores Hindfoot and Midfoot Kinematics After Lateral Ligament Ruptures

The American Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/0363546519848421 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 47 (8) ◽

pp. 1921-1930

Author(s):

Hannelore Boey ◽

Stefaan Verfaillie ◽

Tassos Natsakis ◽

Jos Vander Sloten ◽

Ilse Jonkers

Keyword(s):

Ligament Reconstruction ◽

Ankle Instability ◽

External Rotation ◽

Lateral Ligament ◽

Osteochondral Lesions ◽

Anterior Talofibular Ligament ◽

Calcaneofibular Ligament ◽

Talocalcaneal Joint ◽

Fresh Frozen ◽

Suture Tape

Background: Altered kinematics and persisting ankle instability have been associated with degenerative changes and osteochondral lesions. Purpose: To study the effect of ligament reconstruction surgery with suture tape augmentation (isolated anterior talofibular ligament [ATFL] vs combined ATFL and calcaneofibular ligament [CFL]) after lateral ligament ruptures (combined ATFL and CFL) on foot-ankle kinematics during simulated gait. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Five fresh-frozen cadaveric specimens were tested in a custom-built gait simulator in 5 different conditions: intact, ATFL rupture, ATFL-CFL rupture, ATFL-CFL reconstruction, and ATFL reconstruction. For each condition, range of motion (ROM) and the average angle (AA) in the hindfoot and midfoot joints were calculated during the stance phase of normal and inverted gait. Results: Ligament ruptures mainly changed ROM in the hindfoot and the AA in the hindfoot and midfoot and influenced the kinematics in all 3 movement directions. Combined ligament reconstruction was able to restore ROM in inversion-eversion in 4 of the 5 joints and ROM in internal-external rotation and dorsiflexion-plantarflexion in 3 of the 5 joints. It was also able to restore the AA in inversion-eversion in 2 of the 5 joints, the AA in internal-external rotation in all joints, and the AA in dorsiflexion-plantarflexion in 1 of the joints. Isolated ATFL reconstruction was able to restore ROM in inversion-eversion and internal-external rotation in 3 of the 5 joints and ROM in dorsiflexion-plantarflexion in 2 of the 5 joints. Isolated reconstruction was also able to restore the AA in inversion-eversion and dorsiflexion-plantarflexion in 2 of the joints and the AA in internal-external rotation in 3 of the joints. Both isolated reconstruction and combined reconstruction were most successful in restoring motion in the tibiocalcaneal and talonavicular joints and least successful in restoring motion in the talocalcaneal joint. However, combined reconstruction was still better at restoring motion in the talocalcaneal joint than isolated reconstruction (1/3 for ROM and 1/3 for the AA with isolated reconstruction compared to 1/3 for ROM and 2/3 for the AA with combined reconstruction). Conclusion: Combined ATFL-CFL reconstruction showed better restored motion immediately after surgery than isolated ATFL reconstruction after a combined ATFL-CFL rupture. Clinical Relevance: This study shows that ligament reconstruction with suture tape augmentation is able to partially restore kinematics in the hindfoot and midfoot at the time of surgery. In clinical applications, where the classic Broström-Gould technique is followed by augmentation with suture tape, this procedure may protect the repaired ligament during healing by limiting excessive ROM after a ligament rupture.

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Identifying Foot and Ankle Patients at Risk to Fall Based on Patient Reported Outcomes Assessments

Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics ◽

10.1177/2473011418s00026 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 2473011418S0002

Author(s):

Judith Baumhauer ◽

Jack Teitel ◽

Allison McIntyre ◽

David Mitten ◽

Jeff Houck

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Effect Size ◽

Fall Risk ◽

Patient Reported Outcomes ◽

The United States ◽

Foot And Ankle ◽

Falls Risk ◽

Orthopaedic Patients ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Patients At Risk

Category: Other Introduction/Purpose: Each year approximately 30-40% of people over the age of 65 fall. Approximately one half of these falls result in an injury with the estimated annual direct medical costs of $30 billion. Pain, mobility issues, neuropathy and post-operative weight bearing limitations make foot and ankle patients particularly vulnerable to falls. Current approaches to determine at risk patients are cumbersome and time consuming requiring performance testing and “hands on” clinical assessment. The efficiency of obtaining PRO, such as PROMIS, in the clinical arena has been well documented. The purpose of this study is determine if patient reported outcomes (PROMIS) can identify orthopaedic and specifically foot and ankle patients at risk to fall. Methods: Prospective patient reported outcomes (PROMIS CAT physical function, pain interference and depression and CMS fall risk assessment questions) and patient demographics were collected for all patients at each clinic visit from an academic orthopaedic multi-specialty practice between January 2015 and November 2017. Standardized yes/no validated self-reported fall risk questions include: “Have you fallen in the last year?” and “Do you feel you are at risk of falling?” Histograms, t-tests, confidence intervals and effect size were used to determine the fall risk “YES” patients were different than the “NO” for ALL orthopaedic patients and specifically foot and ankle patients. Logistic Regression was used to determine if age, gender, height, weight, and PROMIS scales predicted self-reported falls risk. Results: 94,761 orthopaedic patients comprising 315,273 visits (44% male, mean age 53.7+/-17 years) and 13,720 foot/ankle patients comprising 33,480 visits (37% male, mean age 52.7+/-16.1 years) had complete data for analysis. Table 1 provides the means/SD/p-values/effect sizes for patient self-identifying at risk to fall stratified by PROMIS PF/ PI/Dep t-scores. Although all PROMIS scores demonstrated significant impairment between patients at risk designation (yes/no), PROMIS PF had the largest effect size for ALL Ortho and FOOT AND ANKLE patients (0.8 and 0.7 respectively). Patients who are at risk to fall have PROMIS PF t-scores >1.5 lower than the United States normative population while the patients not at risk are less <1 SD. In the adjusted regression models gender and PROMIS PF had the largest coefficients. Conclusion: Falls are a major threat to quality of life and independence yet prevention/treatment strategies are difficult to implement across a health system. There is also a tremendous societal cost with orthopaedic surgeons often the recipient of these debilitated patients. PROMIS assessments are part of the AOFAS OFAR initiative to track patient recovery with treatment and can additional be used to fulfill a quality indicator requirement by CMS. This study demonstrates these assessments (PROMIS threshold values) can also be linked to self-report falls risk (yes/no) and may identify patients at risk with no face to face time required from the provider.

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Minimally Important Difference in the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score Among Patients Undergoing Hallux Valgus Surgery

Foot & Ankle International ◽

10.1177/1071100719831392 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (6) ◽

pp. 694-701 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sameer Desai ◽

Alexander C. Peterson ◽

Kevin Wing ◽

Alastair Younger ◽

Trafford Crump ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Activities Of Daily Living ◽

Hallux Valgus ◽

Daily Living ◽

Patient Reported Outcomes ◽

Minimally Important Difference ◽

Foot And Ankle ◽

Outcome Score ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Bunion Correction ◽

Correction Surgery

Background: Patient-reported outcomes are increasingly used as measures of effectiveness of interventions. To make the tools more useful, therapeutic thresholds known as minimally important differences have been developed. The objective of this study was to calculate minimally important differences for the domains of the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score for hallux valgus surgery. Methods: The study was based on a retrospective analysis of patients newly scheduled for bunion correction surgery and completing patient-reported outcomes between October 2013 and January 2018. This study used anchor- and distribution-based approaches to calculate the minimally important difference for the instrument’s 5 domains. Confidence intervals were calculated for each approach. There were 91 participants included in the study. Results: Using anchor- and distribution-based approaches, the minimally important difference for the pain domain ranged from 5.8 to 10.2, from 0.3 to 6.9 for the symptoms domain, 8.3 to 10.3 for the activities of daily living domain, 7.4 to 11.1 for the quality of life domain, and from 7.0 to 15.7 for the sports and recreation domain. Small differences in the activities of daily living domain may be more clinically important for patients with better function. Discussion: The range of minimally important difference values for each domain indicate how the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score corresponded to bunion correction surgery. The sports and recreation domain showed considerable variability in the range of values and may be associated with the domain’s lack of responsiveness. Overall, most minimally important difference values for the domains of FAOS ranged from above 4 to below 16. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective comparative series.

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Satisfactory patient-reported outcomes at 5 years following primary repair with suture tape augmentation for proximal anterior cruciate ligament tears

Knee Surgery Sports Traumatology Arthroscopy ◽

10.1007/s00167-021-06485-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Graeme P. Hopper ◽

Joanna M. S. Aithie ◽

Joanne M. Jenkins ◽

William T. Wilson ◽

Gordon M. Mackay

Keyword(s):

Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽

Patient Reported Outcomes ◽

Primary Repair ◽

Cruciate Ligament ◽

Acl Repair ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Activity Scale ◽

Anterior Cruciate ◽

Suture Tape

Abstract Purpose An enhanced understanding of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) healing and advancements in arthroscopic instrumentation has resulted in a renewed interest in ACL repair. Augmentation of a ligament repair with suture tape reinforces the ligament and acts as a secondary stabilizer. This study assesses the 5-year patient-reported outcomes of primary repair with suture tape augmentation for proximal ACL tears. Methods Thirty-seven consecutive patients undergoing ACL repair with suture tape augmentation for an acute proximal rupture were prospectively followed up for a minimum of 5 years. Patients with midsubstance and distal ruptures, poor ACL tissue quality, retracted ACL remnants and multiligament injuries were excluded. Patient-reported outcome measures were collated using the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcomes Score (KOOS), Visual Analogue Pain Scale (VAS-pain), Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12) and the Marx Activity Scale. Patients with a re-rupture were identified. Results Three patients were lost to follow-up leaving 34 patients in the final analysis (91.9%). The mean KOOS at 5 years was 88.5 (SD 13.8) which improved significantly from 48.7 (SD 18.3) preoperatively (p < 0.01). The VAS score improved from 2.3 (SD 1.7) to 1.0 (SD 1.5) and the VR-12 score improved from 35.9 (SD 10.3) to 52.4 (SD 5.9) at 5 years (p < 0.01). However, the Marx activity scale decreased from 12.4 (SD 3.4) pre-injury to 7.3 (SD 5.2) at 5 years (p = 0.02). Six patients had a re-rupture (17.6%) and have since undergone a conventional ACL reconstruction for their revision surgery with no issues since then. These patients were found to be younger and have higher initial Marx activity scores than the rest of the cohort (p < 0.05). Conclusion Primary repair with suture tape augmentation for proximal ACL tears demonstrates satisfactory outcomes in 28 patients (82.4%) at 5-year follow-up. Six patients sustained a re-rupture and have no ongoing problems following treatment with a conventional ACL reconstruction. These patients were significantly younger and had higher initial Marx activity scores. Level of evidence Level IV.

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PROMIS and FAAM Minimal Clinically Important Differences in Foot and Ankle Orthopedics

Foot & Ankle International ◽

10.1177/1071100718800304 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 65-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Man Hung ◽

Judith F. Baumhauer ◽

Frank W. Licari ◽

Maren W. Voss ◽

Jerry Bounsanga ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Patient Reported Outcomes ◽

Minimum Clinically Important Difference ◽

Measurement Information ◽

Diagnostic Study ◽

Foot And Ankle ◽

Meaningful Change ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Level I

Background: Establishing score points that reflect meaningful change from the patient perspective is important for interpreting patient-reported outcomes. This study estimated the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) values of 2 Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) instruments and the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) Sports subscale within a foot and ankle orthopedic population. Methods: Patients seen for foot and ankle conditions at an orthopedic clinic were administered the PROMIS Physical Function (PF) v1.2, the PROMIS Pain Interference (PI) v1.1, and the FAAM Sports at baseline and all follow-up visits. MCID estimation was conducted using anchor-based and distribution-based methods. Results: A total of 3069 patients, mean age of 51 years (range = 18-94), were included. The MCIDs for the PROMIS PF ranged from approximately 3 to 30 points (median = 11.3) depending on the methods being used. The MCIDs ranged from 3 to 25 points (median = 8.9) for the PROMIS PI, and from 9 to 77 points (median = 32.5) for the FAAM Sports. Conclusions: This study established a range of MCIDs in the PROMIS PF, PROMIS PI, and FAAM Sports indicating meaningful change in patient condition. MCID values were consistent across follow-up periods, but were different across methods. Values below the 25th percentile of MCIDs may be useful for low-risk clinical decisions. Midrange values (eg, near the median) should be used for high stakes decisions in clinical practice (ie, surgery referrals). The MCID values within the interquartile range should be utilized for most decision making. Level of Evidence: Level I, diagnostic study, testing of previously developed diagnostic measure on consecutive patients with reference standard applied.

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Patient-Reported Outcomes after Exosym Bracing (Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis (IDEO)) in the Civilian Population

Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics ◽

10.1177/2473011419s00194 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 2473011419S0019

Author(s):

Ryan Hadden ◽

James Meeker ◽

Jason Weiss ◽

Austin Thompson

Keyword(s):

Physical Function ◽

Patient Reported Outcomes ◽

Pain Modulation ◽

Pain Interference ◽

Average Score ◽

Foot And Ankle ◽

Kinetic Chain ◽

Civilian Population ◽

Patients Âgés ◽

Patient Reported

Category: Ankle Arthritis, Orthosis Introduction/Purpose: When it comes to ambulation, the dynamic interplay of anatomy at the foot and ankle affords weight acceptance, stability and force production. The outcome is gait efficiency. Various musculoskeletal injuries challenge gait biomechanics. While surgical management may address the fault in kinetic chain, it may not fully address the problem of pain, functional outcome and patient satisfaction. Non-surgical interventions such as bracing using ankle foot orthoses (AFO) aim to assist, restore and redirect weightbearing forces with immobility in mind. As an energy-storing AFO, however, the IDEO was created to improve functional performance in veterans after limb salvage procedures. The goal of the study was to evaluate outcomes following use of Exosym (or IDEO) bracing for foot and ankle pathologies in the civilian population. Methods: Through review of one institution’s electronic medical record, 29 patients ages 18 years or older who were prescribed the Exosym brace by a single foot and ankle surgeon over a 5-year period were identified. A composite questionnaire including patient-reported outcomes of PROMIS SF Physical Function, PROMIS SF Pain Interference, Brace Use, and EQ-5D was obtained over the phone or by email. Results: A total of 29 patients were prescribed the brace over a 5-year period with only 18 patients receiving the brace. Insurance denying coverage was the most common reason (n=7) for patients not receiving the brace. Of the 18 patients that received the brace, 17 of them were willing to answer the questionnaire. The average age of patients with the Exosym brace was 42.3 (sd=13.8) years old with 6 (35%) being female. Patients with the Exosym brace reported an average score of 47.2 (sd=6.0) for the PROMIS Physical Function and 53.6 (sd=8.4) for the PROMIS Pain Interference. The average satisfaction with the Exosym brace was 65.5 (sd=17.6) out of a possible 100. Conclusion: Exosym bracing in various foot and ankle pathologies provides functionality and pain modulation in the civilian population that rivals respective subpopulation norms. One of the acknowledged limitations of the study is that not obtaining pre- bracing patient reported outcomes precluded evaluation of a minimum clinically important difference. However, the study was not designed to provide such data. It did, however, provide impetus to pursue a follow-up study evaluating plantar pressure changes with and without brace use, which is currently ongoing. Such knowledge may help identify which injuries would be best suited for Exosym bracing.

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The Effect of Dry Needling on Patient-Reported Outcomes in Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability: A Critically Appraised Topic

International Journal of Athletic Therapy & Training ◽

10.1123/ijatt.2018-0075 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (5) ◽

pp. 186-192

Author(s):

Jennifer F. Mullins ◽

Arthur J. Nitz ◽

Matthew C. Hoch

Keyword(s):

Patient Reported Outcomes ◽

Ankle Instability ◽

Chronic Ankle Instability ◽

The Other ◽

Clinical Scenario ◽

Clinical Question ◽

Dry Needling ◽

Bottom Line ◽

Patient Reported

Clinical Scenario: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) and its associated recurrent sprains, feelings of instability, and decreased function occur in approximately 40% of individuals that suffer an ankle sprain. Despite these continued deficits, more effective treatment has yet to be established. Decreased sensorimotor function has been associated with CAI and may be amenable to dry needling treatment, thereby improving patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Focused Clinical Question: Does dry needling improve PROs in individuals with CAI? Summary of Key Findings: Two studies were identified that examined dry needling in participants with CAI. One of the two studies reported improvements in PROs (PEDro score 7/10) while the other study did not identify any changes (PEDro score 9/10). The inconsistent results were likely related to different treatment durations and follow-up timelines across the included evidence. Clinical Bottom Line: Based on the included studies, there is inconsistent evidence that dry needling can improve PROs in individuals with CAI. Strength of Recommendation: Utilizing the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT) guidelines, level B evidence exists to recommend dry needling treatment to improve PROs for individuals with CAI.

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