Lavan Rajan

Background: Flatfoot deformity is believed to play a role in hallux valgus development and recurrence. While symptomatic flatfoot deformity can be treated with separate procedures at the time of hallux valgus correction, the question remains whether the patient undergoing correction of a symptomatic hallux valgus deformity should have their asymptomatic flatfoot concurrently addressed. We aimed to investigate whether the presence of asymptomatic flatfoot influences patient-reported and radiographic outcomes of the minimally invasive chevron and Akin bunionectomy. Methods: A total of 104 patients were included in this study. Forty-two asymptomatic patients met the radiographic criteria for flatfoot while 62 had a normal arch. Patient-reported outcomes were evaluated and compared between the two groups using validated PROMIS measures preoperatively and at a minimum one-year postoperatively. Radiographic outcomes including hallux valgus angle (HVA), intermetatarsal angle (IMA), Meary’s angle, calcaneal pitch (CP), and talonavicular coverage angle (TNCA) were measured and compared preoperatively and minimum six-months postoperatively. Results: Both groups demonstrated similar preoperative and postoperative PROMIS scores with significant improvements in physical function, pain interference, pain intensity, and global physical health. Preoperatively, HVA was similar between both groups, however the flatfoot group showed a greater IMA, Meary’s angle, TNCA, and lower CP. Postoperatively, HVA and IMA were similar between groups, although patients in the flatfoot group retained a significantly greater Meary’s angle, TNCA, and lower CP. Both groups showed significant improvements in HVA, IMA, and TNCA. Conclusion: Our study indicates that the minimally invasive chevron and Akin bunionectomy leads to improved clinical and radiographic hallux valgus outcomes without adversely impacting radiographic flatfoot parameters. Therefore, the MIS bunionectomy may be an effective option for hallux valgus correction in patients with mild, asymptomatic flatfoot. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective cohort.

Background: The Infinity Total Ankle Arthroplasty (Stryker, Mahwah, NJ) is a low-profile fixed-bearing implant first introduced in 2014. Although the short-term survivorship (2-4 years follow-up) and complication rates of the Infinity TAA have been reported, there are limited midterm outcome reports. The aim of this study was to describe the survivorship and clinical outcomes of a single-center experience with the Infinity implant at minimum 5-year follow-up. Methods: Retrospective review of 65 ankles that underwent primary total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) with the Infinity implant was conducted. Mean clinical follow-up was 6.5 years (range, 5.0-8.0). Preoperative and postoperative radiographs were measured to assess tibiotalar alignment, periprosthetic lucencies, and cysts. Preoperative, 2-year, and 5-year postoperative Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) subscores were compared to assess midterm clinical outcomes. Survivorship assessment was determined by removal of 1 or both metallic implant components. Results: Survivorship of the implant was 93.8% at final follow-up. There were 4 revisions: 2 for tibial implant loosening, 1 for talar loosening, and 1 for loosening of both components. Three of the 4 revisions occurred within the first 2 years following implantation, and the last failure occurred at 7 years postoperatively. There were 11 reoperations in 10 (15%) ankles and 3 wound complications. There were 17 ankles (26.2%) with radiographic abnormalities around the implants, including 14 cases with tibial component lucencies and 4 cases of periimplant cysts. FAOS outcome measurement showed general stability between 2 and 5 years and substantial improvement from preoperative status. Conclusion: To date this study is the largest midterm report on the Infinity total ankle prosthesis, with 65 implants at a mean follow-up of 6.5 years. We found good midterm implant survivorship, and patients experienced significant improvements in FAOS outcome scores and radiographic alignment at final follow-up. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective cohort study.

Purpose Development of valgus tibiotalar tilt is a significant complication after subtalar fusion for progressive collapsing foot deformity (PCFD) correction. However, its incidence and etiologic factors have not been extensively studied. The purpose of this study was to define the incidence of valgus tibiotalar tilt after subtalar fusion for PCFD reconstruction, and to determine predictors of this complication. Methods This study included 59 patients who underwent PCFD reconstruction with subtalar fusion. Patients with tibiotalar tilt prior to surgery were excluded. On standard weightbearing radiographs, the talonavicular coverage angle, talo-1st metatarsal angle, calcaneal pitch, hindfoot moment arm (HMA), and medial distal tibial angle were measured. Weightbearing computed tomography (WBCT) was used to determine the presence of lateral bony impingement. A radiologist evaluated the superficial and deep deltoid ligaments using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Univariate regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with development of postoperative valgus tibiotalar tilt, defined as tilt > 2 degrees. Results Seventeen patients (28.8%) developed postoperative valgus tibiotalar tilt at a mean of 7.7 (range 2–31) months. Eight (47.1%) of these patients developed valgus tibiotalar tilt within 3 months. Univariate logistic regression demonstrated association between preoperative HMA and postoperative valgus tibiotalar tilt (odds ratio 1.06, P = 0.026), with a 6% increase in risk per millimeter of increased HMA. Deltoid ligament status and concomitant procedures on other joints did not correlate with postoperative valgus tilt. Conclusion Our findings indicate that surgeons should be cognizant of patients with a greater degree of preoperative hindfoot valgus and their propensity to develop a valgus ankle deformity. Additionally, our relatively high incidence of valgus tibiotalar tilt suggests that weightbearing ankle radiographs should be included in the initial and subsequent follow-up of PCFD patients with hindfoot valgus treated with subtalar fusion.

Background: While osteochondral autologous transplantation (OAT) offers favorable results in most patients with osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT), some patients continue to experience persistent pain following the procedure. Information regarding the etiology of this pain and outcomes of revision surgery are limited. This study aimed to report results of revision surgery with realignment procedures in patients with failed OAT who demonstrated concomitant malalignment at the distal tibia or hindfoot. Methods: Eight patients (8 ankles), who had been experiencing persistent pain for more than 1 year following OAT, underwent realignment procedures during revision surgery. All patients underwent primary OAT for the treatment of medial OLTs. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the main location of deformity: the supramalleolar realignment group (SRG, 5 ankles) and the hindfoot realignment group (HRG, 3 ankles). No direct procedure was performed on the osteochondral lesion at the time of revision surgery. Ankle and hindfoot alignment were evaluated using 6 parameters in weightbearing radiographs. Computed tomography (CT) was used to assess for medial gutter narrowing, spur formation, and cyst volume around transplanted osteochondral plug preoperatively and postoperatively. Clinical outcomes were assessed using Foot Function Index and Visual Analogue Scale. Results: All patients had medial gutter narrowing or spur formation, which are early signs of ankle arthritis. The SRG had varus distal tibial alignment with a median medial distal tibial angle of 85.7 degrees (interquartile range [IQR], 3.2). The HRG had valgus hindfoot alignment and a lower medial longitudinal arch with a median hindfoot moment arm of 8.4 mm (IQR, 6.1) and a median Meary’s angle of 11.8 degrees (IQR, 1.4). Spontaneous restoration of the osteochondral lesion was observed after realignment surgery, with cyst volume decreasing from 0.2592 to 0.0873 cm³ (P < .05). Clinical scores improved in all patients. Conclusion: The current study demonstrates the effectiveness of realignment surgery in a selected patient group who experienced persistent pain and showed radiographic evidence of malalignment after primary OAT. Our study provides evidence supporting the use of realignment procedures in these cases, with results indicating improved patient-reported outcomes and spontaneous restoration of osteochondral lesions. Levels of Evidence: Level IV: Case series

Background: Progressive collapsing foot deformity (PCFD) is recognized as a 3-dimensional deformity centered around the talus. Previous studies have described some features of talar motion in the ankle mortise in PCFD, such as sagging in the sagittal plane or valgus tilt in the coronal plane. However, axial plane alignment of the talus in the ankle mortise in PCFD has not been investigated extensively. The purpose of this study was to examine this axial plane alignment of PCFD vs controls using weightbearing computed tomography (WBCT) images and to determine if talar rotation in the axial plane is associated with increased abduction deformity, as well as to assess the medial ankle joint space narrowing in PCFD that may be associated with axial plane talar rotation. Methods: Multiplanar reconstructed WBCT images of 79 patients with PCFD and 35 control patients (39 scans) were retrospectively analyzed. The PCFD group was divided into 2 subgroups depending on preoperative talonavicular coverage angle (TNC): moderate abduction (TNC 20-40 degrees, n=57) and severe abduction (TNC >40 degrees, n=22). Using the transmalleolar (TM) axis as a reference, the axial alignment of the talus (TM-Tal), calcaneus (TM-Calc), and second metatarsal (TM-2MT) were calculated. Difference between TM-Tal and TM-Calc was calculated to examine talocalcaneal subluxation. A second method to assess talar rotation within the mortise utilized an angle between the lateral malleolus and the talus (LM-Tal) in the axial slices of WBCT. In addition, the prevalence of medial tibiotalar joint space narrowing was assessed. These parameters were compared between the control and PCFD groups, and between moderate and severe abduction groups. Results: The talus was significantly more internally rotated with respect to the ankle TM axis and the lateral malleolus in PCFD patients compared to controls, and in the severe abduction group compared with the moderate abduction group, using both measurement methods. Axial calcaneal orientation did not differ between groups. There was significantly greater axial talocalcaneal subluxation in the PCFD group, and this was also greater in the severe abduction group. The prevalence of medial joint space narrowing was higher in PCFD patients. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that talar malrotation in the axial plane should be considered an underlying feature of abduction deformity in PCFD. The malrotation occurs in both the talonavicular and ankle joints. This rotational deformity should be corrected at the time of reconstructive surgery, especially in cases of severe abduction deformity. In addition, medial ankle joint narrowing was observed in PCFD patients, with a higher prevalence of medial ankle joint narrowing in those with severe abduction. Level of Evidence: Level III, case-control study.

Introduction: This study provides the first comparison of patient-reported outcomes between isolated cheilectomy (C) and cheilectomy with Moberg (CM) osteotomy for hallux rigidus. Methods: A single-center, retrospective registry search identified all patients with preoperative Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scores who underwent cheilectomy, with and without concomitant proximal phalangeal dorsiflexion osteotomy, for hallux rigidus between January 2016 and December 2020. Because there were far fewer isolated cheilectomies (62), all C patients were compared with a commensurate number of consecutive CM cases (67) using preoperative, 1-year, and 2-year PROMIS scores for physical function, pain interference, pain intensity, global physical health, global mental health, and depression, as well as complication and revision data from a chart review. A multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to compare adjusted postoperative PROMIS scores between the 2 cohorts. Results: There were no differences between groups among the demographic and preoperative variables compared. The CM cohort reported worse pain interference scores preoperatively (P < .001) and at 1 year postoperatively (P = .01). However, the C cohort reported worse pain intensity scores preoperatively (P < .001) and at 1 year postoperatively (P < .001). Adjusted postoperative PROMIS score comparison demonstrated that the CM cohort had better 1-year postoperative pain intensity scores (P < .05). However, there were no differences between cohorts for additional PROMIS scores or complications data. Conclusion: The addition of a Moberg osteotomy does not appear to significantly change short- to medium-term outcomes of cheilectomy for hallux rigidus treatment. Levels of Evidence: Level III: Retrospective comparative study

Background: Ankle fractures involving the posterior malleolus (PM) tend to result in inferior clinical outcomes compared to other ankle fractures. However, it is unclear which specific risk factors and fracture characteristics are associated with negative outcomes in these fractures. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for poor postoperative patient-reported outcomes in patients with fractures involving the PM. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients who sustained ankle fractures involving the PM between March 2016 and July 2020 and had preoperative computed tomography (CT) scans. In total, 122 patients were included for analysis. One patient (0.8%) had an isolated PM fracture, 19 (15.6%) had bimalleolar ankle fractures involving the PM, and 102 (83.6%) had trimalleolar fractures. Fracture characteristics including the Lauge-Hansen (LH) and Haraguchi classifications and posterior malleolar fragment size were collected from preoperative CT scans. Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scores were collected preoperatively and at a minimum of 1 year postoperatively. The association between various demographic and fracture characteristics with postoperative PROMIS scores was assessed. Results: Involvement of more malleoli was associated with worse PROMIS Physical Function ( P = .04), Global Physical Health ( P = .04), and Global Mental Health ( P < .001), and Depression scores ( P = .001). Elevated BMI was also associated with worse PROMIS Physical Function ( P = .0025), Pain Interference ( P = .0013), and Global Physical Health ( P = .012) scores. Time to surgery, fragment size, Haraguchi classification, and LH classification were not associated with PROMIS scores. Conclusion: In this cohort, we found that trimalleolar ankle fractures were associated with inferior PROMIS outcomes compared with bimalleolar ankle fractures involving the PM in multiple domains. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective cohort study.

Background: The Trabecular Metal (Zimmer Biomet, Warsaw, IN) total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) system uses a lateral approach with a fibular osteotomy to gain access to the tibiotalar joint and a sagittally curved tibial component. This is the first TAA system to laterally approach the ankle, and few studies have explored outcomes associated with this implant. This study aimed to report the 5-year clinical and radiographic outcomes as well as the survivorship of the implant. Methods: Over a 3-year period, 2 fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeons used this implant system to treat 38 end-stage arthritic ankles. Reoperation and revision data were collected from all patients (100%) as part of the local prospective database. Patients completed the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) questionnaire preoperatively and at each annual follow-up visit; scores for a minimum of 5 years were available for 28 (73.7%) patients. A radiographic analysis compared postoperative coronal and sagittal alignment in weightbearing radiographs at a minimum of 5 years with that at 3 months postoperatively, as well as cyst or lucency formation, which was available for 21 patients (55.3%). Results: At 5 years, there were 3 revisions (7.9%) and 9 reoperations (23.7%). Reoperations included 4 fibular hardware removal and 5 medial gutter debridement procedures. The FAOS significantly improved for all domains (P < .05). Implant positioning did not significantly change between 3 months and 5 years postoperatively. Conclusion: Our 5-year results in this small series using this unique prosthesis showed good overall survivorship (92.1%) and a reoperation rate of 23.7%, along with clinically significant improvement in patient-reported outcomes. Levels of Evidence: Level IV: Retrospective case series

Category: Midfoot/Forefoot Introduction/Purpose: Cheilectomy with and without Moberg osteotomy is used to improve function and remove pain in early- moderate stage hallux rigidus. The rise of patient-reported outcome measurements allows greater precision in comparing treatments as value-driven paradigms become increasingly important in clinical decision-making. This study provides the first comparison of patient-reported outcomes between isolated cheilectomy (C) and cheilectomy with Moberg (CM) osteotomy for hallux rigidus. We compared one and two-year PROM scores between patients who underwent C and CM for hallux rigidus using PROMIS, a validated patient-reported outcomes measurement system, and compared rates of complications and subsequent operations between the two groups. We hypothesized that patients who underwent CM would experience better clinical outcomes and fewer returns to the operating room than patients undergoing cheilectomy alone. Methods: A single-center, retrospective registry search identified all patients with preoperative PROMIS scores who underwent cheilectomy, with and without concomitant proximal phalangeal dorsiflexion osteotomy, for hallux rigidus between January 2016 and December 2020. An a priori power analysis determined that 24 patients per cohort were needed to detect a previously published minimum clinically important difference of 5.8 points on the PROMIS Physical Function scale with alpha = .05 and 80% power. However, all C patients were included. Because there were far fewer isolated cheilectomies (62), all C patients were compared with a commensurate number of consecutive CM cases (67) using preoperative, one-year, and two-year PROMIS scores for Physical Function, Pain Interference, Pain Intensity, Global Physical Health, Global Mental Health, and Depression, as well as complication and revision data from chart review. Age, sex, BMI, preoperative radiographic hallux rigidus grade, and preoperative range of motion were compared between the two cohorts. Results: PROMIS outcome data is given in Table 1. Both groups demonstrated statistically significant improvements in PROMIS Physical Function, Pain Interference, Pain Intensity, and Global Physical Health (P <.001 for all, both preoperative to one-year and preoperative to two-year), but not Global Mental Health or Depression. There were no differences between groups among the demographic and preoperative variables compared. The CM cohort reported worse Pain Interference scores preoperatively (58.1+- 5.9 vs. 52.4 +- 7.01, P < .001) and at one year (50.0 +- 9.3 vs. 45.1 +- 9.8, P = .01), while the C cohort reported worse Pain Intensity scores preoperatively (55.6 +- 7.3 vs. 49.6 +- 6.8, P < .001) and at one year (45.9 +- 8.0 vs. 39.9 +- 8.2, P < .001). These differences were no longer significant at two years postoperatively. There were no statistically significant differences between cohorts for additional PROMIS scores or complications data. Conclusion: The addition of a Moberg osteotomy does not appear to significantly change short-medium term outcomes of cheilectomy for hallux rigidus treatment. Our data contradicts the notion that addition of a Moberg osteotomy increases the likelihood of postoperative complications. The overall good results found for both procedures, as well as the general similarity between outcomes between them, suggest that external considerations like recovery time, comfort level with a more invasive osteotomy, and overall goals with surgery may be of greater importance than short-term clinical outcomes when deciding on the appropriate course of treatment for a given patient.

Category: Ankle Arthritis; Ankle; Other Introduction/Purpose: The Cadence Total Ankle System (Smith and Nephew, Memphis, TN) is a two-component, fixed-bearing fourth generation total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) system that was introduced for clinical use in 2016. Few studies have investigated short-term outcomes of this new TAA system, and no outcomes have yet been reported by independent authors. The purpose of this study was to report non-inventor, non-industry funded survivorship, radiographic and clinical outcomes, and early complications following use of the new fourth generation TAA system at a minimum of 2 years. Methods: This is a single-center retrospective study of patients who underwent TAA by two surgeons with the Cadence between January 2017 and September 2018. There were 50 ankles in 50 patients, and 48 (96%; mean age of 66.1 years) patients were evaluated at a minimum 2-year follow-up. Two patients were lost due to death and refusal to participate in the study. Patients had an average follow-up of 33.6 (range, 24-50) months. Radiographic outcomes included preoperative and postoperative tibiotalar alignment (TTA) on anteroposterior radiographs of the ankle, sagittal tibial alignment (STA) on lateral radiographs of the ankle, and periprosthetic cyst formation (greater than 5mm in size) and cyst location. Data regarding reoperations and revisions were also collected. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed using Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS). Subgroup analysis was performed to assess for associations between preoperative deformity, postoperative implant alignment, PROMIS scores, and periprosthetic cyst formation. Results: Survivorship of implant was 93.7%, with 3 revisions, 1 due to infection and 2 due to loosening of the implant (one tibial and one talar component). Three patients had reoperations (6.3%): 2 for irrigation and debridement for cellulitis, and 1 for gutter debridement due to medial gutter impingement. Preoperatively, 9 ankles had varus alignment (mean TTA 77.9 degrees), 20 had neutral alignment (mean TTA 90.2 degrees), and 13 had valgus alignment (mean TTA 102.9 degrees). Postoperatively, TTA and STA significantly improved, and all patients demonstrated neutral coronal alignment (TTA between 85 and 95 degrees). Fifteen patients (35.8%) developed periprosthetic cysts, all on the tibial side. PROMIS scores improved after surgery in all domains except Depression (Table 1). Patients with postoperative periprosthetic cysts had a smaller preoperative STA and a worse postoperative PROMIS Physical function and Pain interference domain than patients without periprosthetic cysts (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study demonstrated excellent minimum 2-year clinical and radiographic outcomes, along with low revision and reoperation rates, of this new fourth generation TAA system. Future studies with longer follow-up, especially on patients with periprosthetic cysts, are necessary to investigate the long-term complications and understand the long-term functional and radiographic outcomes of this implant.