Ankle Fracture Surgery: Is Swelling a Real Barrier?
Surgeons often delay ankle fracture surgeries due to swelling, fearing it increases wound complications. However, there are no guidelines...
Jul 241 min read
Are Biointegrative Fixations (OSSIO) in Ankle Replacements Safer than Traditional Hardware?
Hardware removal is a common but costly side of orthopedic and musculoskeletal care. Surgeons and hospitals disagree on allowing...
Jul 241 min read
Gastrocnemius Recession: Safety in the Details
Gastrocnemius recession treats isolated gastrocnemius contracture (IGC), improving ankle dorsiflexion. However, recent anatomical...
Jun 261 min read
Cutting Down on Medial Gutter Impingement in Total Ankle Arthroplasty (TAA)
by Vince Vacketta The problem:Â Medial gutter impingement following TAA results in pain and restricted movement, despite the implant being...
Jun 121 min read
Shoes Matter in Ankle Surgery Gait Analysis
Most gait studies post-ankle surgery are performed with participants walking barefoot, which is not a realistic scenario. A notable ...
Jun 121 min read
DynaNails Cut Nonunion in Tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) Fusions
TTC arthrodesis is vital for treating severe hindfoot/ankle issues. Dynamic compression (DC) nails may outperform static compression (SC)...
Jun 121 min read
The Tipping Point in TAA Has Arrived
by Vince Vacketta, DPM Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) utilization continues to grow . Looking back and projecting forward helps us better...
Apr 172 min read
Obesity and Arthroplasty ... Again!
by Vince Vacketta, DPM Beyond a surgeon’s experience and skill, patient selection is critical for the success of total ankle arthroplasty...
Apr 32 min read
Sports Activity Following Total Ankle Arthroplasty (TAA): This Again?
by Vince Vacketta, DPM The extent of activity limitations after a TAA is not fully understood. We are aware of activities to avoid, such...
Dec 26, 20241 min read
Total Ankle Arthroplasty (TAA) versus Ankle Arthrodesis (AA): Insights From Germany
by Vince Vacketta, DPM Another retrospective comparative study has been published, this time using a German insurance database to...
Jul 11, 20241 min read
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) and Ankle Arthritis: What's the Latest?
In 2021, Paget et al. published a study in JAMA Network that involved a randomized clinical trial with 100 patients comparing the...
Jul 11, 20241 min read
Pain After Ankle Arthroplasty (AA): Is Conversion to Total Ankle Arthrodesis (TAA) Truly Viable?
Debilitating ankle osteoarthritis (OA) affects a broad demographic of patients. Considerations for procedure selection between AA and TAA...
Jul 2, 20241 min read
Bone Quality & Total Ankle Arthroplasty (TAA)​
A core principle in major joint arthroplasty is achieving immediate and stable fixation of the implant. This principle also applies to...
Jul 2, 20241 min read
Preventing Medial Tibial Stress Fractures After TAR: New Insights
Gregory Lundeen was the foot and ankle surgeon who first described medial malleolar fractures (MMF) in the context of total ankle...
Jun 26, 20241 min read
Arthroscopic Versus Open Ankle Fusion
A new meta-analysis includes a review of contemporary literature comparing open and arthroscopic ankle fusions. A total of 13 studies...
Nov 30, 20231 min read
Joint Line Considerations in TAA
by Vince Vacketta, DPM The importance of restoring the native joint line has been well studied in TKA. As surgeons continue to work to...
Nov 2, 20231 min read
The Dreaded Cyst After Total Ankle Replacement
There is much is to be discovered concerning cysts and total ankle arthroplasty, but we do know is that cysts may lead to aseptic...
Jun 1, 20231 min read
Preoperative Patient Related Factors and TAR Outcomes
Some patients report poor health-related quality of life after undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). Gustafsson et al. conducted a...
May 18, 20231 min read
Apoptosis: Progressive Deterioration in Chronically Unstable Ankle
Apoptosis refers to planned cell death and is critical for body homeostasis by eliminating harmful cells. In musculoskeletal medicine, it...
May 4, 20231 min read
Crouching (or Limping) Tiger
The world watched Tiger Woods limp off the golf course after setting his 36th record at Augusta National. This time the record was making...
May 4, 20231 min read