This is a retrospective study of retrograde intramedullary rodding for ankle arthrodesis in 19 ankles in 16 patients. The preoperative diagnosis of 16 patients was diabetic neuropathic arthropathy in seven patients, rheumatoid arthritis in three patients, post traumatic arthrosis in three patients, paraplegia with fixed equinovarus of the foot in two patients, and avascular necrosis of the talus in one patient. Retrograde intramedullary rodding for ankle arthrodesis was done as a salvage procedure in each patient. Fourteen of the 19 ankles had radiographic evidence of solid arthrodesis. In the four patients with five ankles with pseudarthrosis, no case was clinically significant. There was one deep infection and one broken rod. Thirteen of the 16 patients are ambulatory, and nine required either an ankle-foot orthosis or shoe modification. The standard method of ankle fusion using crossed cancellous screws is the procedure of choice because it preserves the subtalar joint. Retrograde intramedullary rodding for ankle arthrodesis should be considered for patients with significant posttraumatic arthrosis and bone loss following distal tibial plafond fractures, concomitant subtalar arthrosis, severe osteopenia, such as in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, or neuropathic arthropathy.

No abstract

Background: Controversy remains regarding which patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture would best be treated nonoperatively and which might benefit from operative repair. The primary aim of this study was to characterize the overall incidence of—and specific risk factors associated with—postoperative complications that follow operative repair. We also evaluated the specific differences between complications after the use of an open or minimally invasive surgical (MIS) approach. Methods: Retrospective chart review identified 615 adult patients who underwent operative repair for an acute Achilles tendon rupture between January 1, 2001, and May 1, 2016, at 3 level I trauma centers. Minimum follow-up was 3 months. Patient demographics, comorbidities, injury mechanism, procedural details, and surgeon subspecialty were collected. Assessed complications included wound healing issues, rerupture, hematoma, nerve injury, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism. Results: Seventy-two patients (11.7%) developed a postoperative complication. Risk factors included advancing patient age (odds ratio [OR], 1.04, P = .007), active tobacco use (OR, 3.20, P = .007), and specific subspecialty training (OR, 2.04, P = .046). No difference in overall complication rate was found between the open and MIS approaches (11.6% vs 13.2%, P = .658). A subgroup analysis among orthopedic subspecialties demonstrated that patients treated by trauma surgeons had increased rates of wound complication ( P = .043) and rerupture ( P = .025) compared with those treated by other subspecialties. Patients treated by trauma surgeons were also more likely to be younger or have a body mass index (BMI) > 30, although neither factor was found to be independently predictive for postoperative complications. Conclusion: Approximately 1 in 9 patients undergoing operative repair of an acute Achilles tendon rupture developed a postoperative complication. Advancing age and active tobacco use were independent risk factors for developing such complications. Differences in subspecialty training also appear to impact complication rates, but the potential reason for this discrepancy remains unclear. As controversy remains regarding which patients who sustain acute Achilles tendon rupture should be treated nonoperatively and which would benefit most from surgical repair, a better understanding of postoperative complication rates and associated risk factors may enhance the decision-making processes in treating these injuries. It is not clear whether MIS techniques are superior to traditional open repair in terms of postoperative complications. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective comparative series.

No abstract