Objective: To evaluate patients affected by osteochondral fractures of the talus who were treated surgically by means of arthroscopy-assisted microperforation. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out on 24 patients with osteochondral lesions of the talus who underwent microperforation assisted by videoarthroscopy of the ankle. They were evaluated using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score system before and after the operation. Results: There were 19 men and 5 women, with a mean age of 35.3 years (minimum of 17 years and maximum of 54 years). The minimum follow-up was two years (maximum of 39 months). All the patients showed an improvement in AOFAS score after surgery, with an average improvement of around 22.5 points. Conclusion: Videoarthroscopy-assisted microperforation is a good option for treating osteochondral lesions of the talus and provides good functional results.

Purpose Infection at the pin site remains the most common complication of external fixators (EFs). It is known that hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated pins increase bone adhesion and may lead to reduced rates of reported infections. The present study compares the rates of pin track infection associated with stainless steel and HA-coated pins. Methods This is a prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized, comparative intervention study among patients undergoing surgical treatment with EFs of any type between April 2018 and October 2021. Patients were followed up until the removal of the EF, or the end of the study period (ranging from 1 to 27.6 months). The definition of pin track infection was based upon the Maz-Oxford-Nuffield (MON) pin infection grading system. Results Overall, 132 patients undergoing external fixation surgery were included. Of these, 94 (71.2%) were male, with a mean age of 36.9 years (SD ± 18.9). Infection of any type (score > 1) was observed in 63 (47.7%) patients. Coated and uncoated-pin track-infection occurred in 45.7% and 48.5% of patients, respectively ( P = 0.0887). The probability of developing infection (defined as a score ≥ 2) adjusted for comorbidities and follow-up time was not statistically higher among those who received uncoated pins compared to those who received pins coated with HA (odds ratio (OR) = 1.56, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.67–3.67, p <0.05). Conclusion In the present study, the external fixator pin infection rates were similar when using HA coating and standard steel pins. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00264-023-05717-w.

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The diagnosis of plantar forefoot pain is very extensive. Plantar pain in the forefoot usually occurs due to mechanical aetiologies such as metatarsalgia, stress fractures and nerve damage. Tumours are a rare cause of plantar pain in the forefoot. We report the case of a patient with chronic pain in the plantar region of the forefoot due to a vascular leiomyoma. Level of Evidence V; Diagnostic Studies; Expert Opinion.