Background:End-stage ankle arthritis has long been managed surgically with open ankle arthrodesis (OAA). Since the first published report in 1983, arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis (AAA) has been thought to be associated with improved patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and fewer complications. The purpose of the present study was to compare the long-term PROMs, major complications, and reoperations for these 2 approaches at up to 15 years of follow-up.Methods:This longitudinal cohort study included patients at our institution who underwent primary ankle arthrodesis for the treatment of end-stage arthritis. Demographic data and preoperative COFAS (Canadian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) ankle arthritis type were collected for all patients. PROMs were completed preoperatively, at 6 months, and annually thereafter to 5 years. PROMs were compared at all time points with use of a mixed-effects regression model that adjusted for preoperative variables and scores. Major complications and reoperations at the site of the ankle arthrodesis were also compared.Results:Of 1,294 patients who were screened for inclusion, 351 who had undergone ankle arthrodesis between 2003 and 2019 were eligible for the study. Of those, 223 had undergone AAA and 128 had undergone OAA. The 2 groups were similar preoperatively with respect to demographics, but COFAS Type-4 arthritis was relatively more common in the OAA group and Type-1 arthritis was relatively more common in the AAA group. In addition, the Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale (AOS) score and Ankle Arthritis Score (AAS) were better in the AAA group. In the mixed-effects model analysis, the differences in postoperative outcome scores between the groups were not significant. The risk of revision due to malunion or nonunion was similar in both groups (6% in the AAA group, compared with 4% in the OAA group). Deep infection and wound complications did not occur in the arthroscopic group but occurred in 4% of the patients in the OAA group.Conclusions:After adjustment for baseline patient characteristics, there were no differences in PROMs between the 2 techniques. Ankle arthrodeses done arthroscopically had a similar revision rate but lower infection rate compared with those done with the open technique.Level of Evidence:Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Background: Peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) have revolutionized distal extremity surgery reducing pain and improving hospital efficiency. Perineural dexamethasone has been administered with PNBs to prolong their effects, although the safety of dexamethasone has not been established in the literature. This study aimed to determine if the addition of dexamethasone affected the postoperative neurological sensory status for foot and ankle surgeries and the recovery of nerve injuries. We hypothesized that the rate of persistent nerve injury would be higher in the dexamethasone group. Methods: This is a retrospective observational cohort study of prospectively collected data of all patients from a single foot and ankle surgeon’s practice. Perineural dexamethasone was routinely used as an adjunct by the regional anesthesia group until a clinical trend of increased paresthesia was found on short-term follow-up, which led to the discontinuation of its use. In this study, the cohort that received dexamethasone with ropivacaine was compared with the cohort that received ropivacaine alone. The primary outcome was a separate sensory nerve status sheet that was completed for every distal nerve territory for every patient at their follow-up visits at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. Univariate analysis and a logistic regression model were used to determine the association between dexamethasone and delayed nerve recovery. A total of 250 patients were included in the study, with 117 patients in the dexamethasone group and 133 in the ropivacaine-only group. Results: The rates of nerve injuries were not different between the groups (72 [62%] in the dexamethasone group vs 79 [59%] in the ropivacaine-only group). However, nerve injury symptoms were more likely to persist and not fully recover in the dexamethasone group ( n = 47, 65%) compared with the ropivacaine-only group ( n = 32, 41%) (OR, 2.12; P = .006). Conclusion: Perineural dexamethasone added to PNBs may be associated with delayed nerve recovery after foot and ankle surgery. It may be prudent to avoid its use until its full safety profile is established in larger prospective trials. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective comparative study.

Background: Postoperative outcomes may be affected by the patient’s preoperative morbidity. It is hypothesized that patient’s pain catastrophization prior to foot and ankle surgery may affect their patient-reported outcomes. Methods: This study prospectively assessed a consecutive cohort of 46 patients undergoing foot and ankle reconstruction to describe the relationship between Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) and patient-reported outcomes measured by 12-item Short Form Health Survey and Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS). Results: The 1-year postoperative FAOS pain, activities of daily living, and quality of life scores correlated significantly with all baseline PCS subcategories. We found that the mental domain of the SF-12 had a statistically significant correlation with the rumination and helplessness PCS subcategories. Conclusion: This study showed a significant association between a high preoperative PCS and a worse 1-year FAOS. As such, catastrophization could be screened for and potentially treated preoperatively to improve patient-reported outcomes in elective foot and ankle surgery. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic, Level III Evidence

Category: Ankle; Bunion; Lesser Toes; Midfoot/Forefoot; Trauma Introduction/Purpose: The primary objective of this systematic review was to comprehensively assess the quality of reporting of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) relating to pediatric orthopaedic foot and ankle conditions. Additionally, this current study looked at factors related to the quality of the RCTs and trends in the quality of reporting over time Methods: This systemic review was performed according to an agreed predefined protocol and conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement standards. PubMed, Ovid (MEDLINE) and Embase were searched for all RCTs on foot and/or ankle surgery from the database inception until March 31, 2020. The quality of reporting was evaluated using the Detsky quality index and the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) checklist for reporting trials of nonpharmacologic treatments. A multivariate regression analysis was used to assess predictors of quality reporting. Results: The online search yielded 3,697 articles, 22 of which met the inclusion criteria and were assessed for quality of reporting. The earliest identified RCT was published in 1991. Close to 70% of all RCTs have been produced over the past 10 years (since 2010), and over 90% have been published in the past 20 years (since 2000). There has been a significant increase in the number of RCTs published over time (p=0.042). The mean (SD) Detsky score across all included studies was 69.2% (13.8%). Nine (41%) of the studies were considered 'high-quality' with a standardized Detsky score greater than or equal to 75%. The strongest predictor of quality reporting was the inclusion of a CONSORT flow diagram (β-coefficient: 18.4, p=0.0013). Conclusion: Despite an increase in the quantity of pediatric F&A RCTs over time, the quality has not significantly improved. The use of a CONSORT flow diagram is a strong predictor of high-quality reporting. We encourage investigators to devote more efforts in conducting high-quality RCTs in pediatric orthopaedic foot and ankle, as these are scarce in the literature.