In a presentation at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society in Keystone, Colorado, it was noted that an increase in tourniquet time causes an increase in overall wound complications. Presented by Dr. Dan H. Boack, MD of Germany, his prospective study assessed 414 patients for 12 weeks following TAR / Total Ankle Replacement surgery between 2003 and 2009. The patients were divided into 3 groups based on touniquet times including Group A with no tourniquet use, Group B with tourniquet use up to 29 minutes, and Group C with tourniquet use longer than 30 minutes.
With risk factors such as smoking, age, BMI, concomitant medical conditions, operating time and additional procedures, Boack found a 5.1% increased rate of complications in the patients from Group C in comparrison to the first two groups. Boack concluded that
"the tourniquet time has an influence on the evalutated wound complication rate in TAR and it is recommeneded to mininmize the tourniquet, especially less than 30 minutes."
All of the current TAR / Ankle Joint Implant options are viewable here.
Reference:
Boack DH. Does the tourniquet time influence the complication rate of TAR? Paper #90. Presented at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Orthpaedic Foot and Ankle Society. July 13-16. Keystone, Colo. Dan H. Boack, MD, can be reached at Foot and Ankle Center Berlin, Kieler Strasse 1, Berlin D-12163, Germany.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Wright Medical Teams up With Arthrocare
Wright Medical has announced that they have entered into an exclusive agreement with ArthroCare Corporation to begin distributing their soft tissue fixation products for the foot and ankle, specifically with the knotless suturing technology. The specific devices involved include ArthroCare's Opus knotless suture fixation technology, which is expected to begin during the fall of 2011.
"We are extremely pleased to enter this agreement with ArthroCare. Soft tisse repair is a conrerstone of foot and ankle surgery, and this agreement allows Wright to deliver another innovative technology to our customer." - Bob Fencl, Senior Director of Foot and Anlke Marketing at Wright Medical
You can see all of the Wright Medical foot and ankle product lines here. Check out the Opus Knotless Suture Fixation technology here.
You can see all of the Wright Medical foot and ankle product lines here. Check out the Opus Knotless Suture Fixation technology here.
IoFIX Webinar Tonight
Extremity Medical will be hosting a live webinar tonight with Dr. Brian Donley, MD as he covers the new Extremity Medical IoFix Intraosseous Fusion System. His discussion will cover the various features of the implant and its uses in foot and ankle surgery. The webinar is scheduled for 9:00pm EDT and you can register here.
Dr. Brian Donley, MD is Director of the Center for Foot and Ankle Surgery and is part of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Orthopaedic and Rheumatologic Institute at the Cleaveland Clinic.
Dr. Brian Donley, MD is Director of the Center for Foot and Ankle Surgery and is part of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Orthopaedic and Rheumatologic Institute at the Cleaveland Clinic.
New Ascension Ankle Fusion Plate
Ascension Orthopedics has posted on their website the latest in thier line of foot and ankle fixation products: The Construct Ankle Fusion Plating System. The plate uses either 4.5mm or 6.5mm locking screws and is designed for both Ankle Joint Arthrodesis as well as Pantalar / Tibiotalocalcaneal Arthrodesis.
The system has both an anterior and lateral plate, with the lateral plate also having an attachable guide to assist with inserting an interfragmental screw. Read more about the new Ascension Construct Ankle Fusion Plate here.
The system has both an anterior and lateral plate, with the lateral plate also having an attachable guide to assist with inserting an interfragmental screw. Read more about the new Ascension Construct Ankle Fusion Plate here.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
New Integra U-Shaped Plate
Integra has announced the release of a new U-Shaped compression plate that will augment thier Uni-CP Compression System. The new 4-hole U-Shaped plate will come in three sizes and is designed for arthrodesis at the second and third metatarsocunieform joints. The plate has been approved by the FDA in the U.S. as well as it has received a CE Mark Certification in the Europe.
"The new line extension is a very exciting opportunity for Integra," said Pete Ligotti, Vice President, Marketing, Integra Extremity Reconstruction. "The U-shape plate is an innovative approach to fixation of the second and third metatarsal cuneiform joints. It comes in three sizes, which gives surgeons a significant addition to their armamentarium, and helps limit uncertainty by accommodating a patient's unique treatment needs."
The new plate will be up on www.footandanklefixation.com as soon it is live online. You can see the current Integra products as well as the Uni-CP Compression System here.
"The new line extension is a very exciting opportunity for Integra," said Pete Ligotti, Vice President, Marketing, Integra Extremity Reconstruction. "The U-shape plate is an innovative approach to fixation of the second and third metatarsal cuneiform joints. It comes in three sizes, which gives surgeons a significant addition to their armamentarium, and helps limit uncertainty by accommodating a patient's unique treatment needs."
The new plate will be up on www.footandanklefixation.com as soon it is live online. You can see the current Integra products as well as the Uni-CP Compression System here.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Ankle Implant versus Ankle Fusion
Footinnovate.com will be presenting a new webinar on Thursday, July 28 by Dr. James DeOrio, MD on ankle reconstructive surgery. The topic for the evening, which starts at 7:00pm Eastern Daylight Time, is titled: Ankle Fusion vs Ankle Replacement: You make the call; Pros and Cons of Keeping the Motion. For those interested, you can register here to participate in this webinar.
This should be an interesting discussion as total ankle replacements (TAR) have been gaining considerable ground in the United States as of recently and are more commonly being offered as a surgical option, in comparison to the gold standard of ankle joint arthrodesis. There are currently 5 ankle joint implants used in the U.S. including the SBI Star, Depuy Agility, Tornier Salto Talaris, and the Wright Medical Inbone and Inbone II ankle implants.
This should be an interesting discussion as total ankle replacements (TAR) have been gaining considerable ground in the United States as of recently and are more commonly being offered as a surgical option, in comparison to the gold standard of ankle joint arthrodesis. There are currently 5 ankle joint implants used in the U.S. including the SBI Star, Depuy Agility, Tornier Salto Talaris, and the Wright Medical Inbone and Inbone II ankle implants.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
External Fixation Pins & Nitric Oxide
As with every month, there are a plethora of journals for us here at FootandAnkleFixation.com to scour through and we try to pull out the most interesting and pertinent articles that pertain to foot and ankle surgery and fixation. Some months there is a paucity of literature that is relevant to our interest and in others there is an abundance that we will pour over into the Daily Fix. And in our readings for this month comes a few interesting articles that we didn't want to leave out. So without further ado....
Researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC and in conjunction with the Department of Orthopaedics, and Department of Chemistry have published a paper in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma on the antibacterial activity of nitric oxide (NO)-releasing xerogel on titanium pins used as external fixation in rat models. They found that in comparison to a control group and xerogel without nitric oxide, the group of rats that had the nitric oxide (NO)-releasing xerogel demonstrated significantly lower counts of pin tract bacterial colony counts and fewer clinical signs of infection. In the end they concluded the following:
"The application of NO-releasing xerogel coatings can inhibit bacterial colonization of external fixation pins both during the initial postsurgical period and up to 48 days postimplantation."
For those of you interested in reading further about their findings, you can purchase the entire article here from The Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC and in conjunction with the Department of Orthopaedics, and Department of Chemistry have published a paper in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma on the antibacterial activity of nitric oxide (NO)-releasing xerogel on titanium pins used as external fixation in rat models. They found that in comparison to a control group and xerogel without nitric oxide, the group of rats that had the nitric oxide (NO)-releasing xerogel demonstrated significantly lower counts of pin tract bacterial colony counts and fewer clinical signs of infection. In the end they concluded the following:
"The application of NO-releasing xerogel coatings can inhibit bacterial colonization of external fixation pins both during the initial postsurgical period and up to 48 days postimplantation."
For those of you interested in reading further about their findings, you can purchase the entire article here from The Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Alternative Approaches with Internal Fixation
Now up on the Journal of Foot And Ankle Surgery website are two new articles that are currently available online only. Both articles, by Lawrence A. DiDomenico, demonstrate new fixation options for rearfoot procedures including calcaneal displacement osteotomies and pantalar / tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. You can start to read about these new appraoches below and the links will take you to where you can purchase the full articel if desired.
Double Calcaneal Osteotomy Using Single, Dual-Function Screw Fixation Technique
Authors: Lawrence A. DiDomenico, DPM; A. Anthony Haro III, DPM; Davina J. Cross, DPM
Historically, a variety of fixation techniques for calcaneal osteotomies have been used. The prevention of postoperative sequelae, including delayed or nonunion of the osteotomy sites and minimization of soft tissue damage, is always a primary consideration for foot and ankle surgeons. The present report describes a fixation technique for a double calcaneal osteotomy that entails use of a single screw that functions as both a positional tool, as well as a compressive fixation device. This technique provides compressive and positional qualities and decreases the amount of soft tissue disruption to the surgical site.
Authors: Lawrence A. DiDomenico, DPM; A. Anthony Haro III, DPM; Davina J. Cross, DPM
Historically, a variety of fixation techniques for calcaneal osteotomies have been used. The prevention of postoperative sequelae, including delayed or nonunion of the osteotomy sites and minimization of soft tissue damage, is always a primary consideration for foot and ankle surgeons. The present report describes a fixation technique for a double calcaneal osteotomy that entails use of a single screw that functions as both a positional tool, as well as a compressive fixation device. This technique provides compressive and positional qualities and decreases the amount of soft tissue disruption to the surgical site.
Authors: Lawrence A. DiDomenico, DPM; A. Anthony Haro III, DPM; Davina J. Cross, DPM
Historically, a variety of fixation techniques for calcaneal osteotomies have been used. The prevention of postoperative sequelae, including delayed or nonunion of the osteotomy sites and minimization of soft tissue damage, is always a primary consideration for foot and ankle surgeons. The present report describes a fixation technique for a double calcaneal osteotomy that entails use of a single screw that functions as both a positional tool, as well as a compressive fixation device. This technique provides compressive and positional qualities and decreases the amount of soft tissue disruption to the surgical site.
Posterior Approach Using Anterior Ankle Arthrodesis Locking Plate for Tibiotalocalcaneal Arthrodesis
Authors: Lawrence A. DiDomenico, DPM; Paul Sann, DPM
Tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis is a successful treatment for patients with severe pain and functional disability in the ankle and subtalar joint. Patients with post-traumatic ankle and subtalar joint arthritis, and/or Charcot deformity, often present with compromised skin and soft tissue structures. In the present report, we describe a technique using an anterior ankle arthrodesis locking plate placed posteriorly to obtain hindfoot and ankle fusion. This technique, which uses the well vascularized, thick, posterior soft tissue envelope, provides very good exposure of the articular surfaces for resection and tibiotalocalcaneal fusion. The technique provides a valuable option for patients with compromised skin and soft tissue structures over aspects of the ankle that make other approaches risky and complicated.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
AOFAS Resident Review Course
In preparation for the OITE, the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society has two 1 day review courses for surgeons, the first in August and the second in October. The August 27th course is taught by Dr. James Brodsky, MD at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, TX. The October 1st course will be held at the Brigham & Women's Hospital / Harvard Medical School and overseen by Eric Bluman, MD, PhD and Christopher Chiodo, MD. Both courses run either $60 or $75 depending on registration deadlines.
Main topics covered include Sports Medicine, Trauma, Reconstruction, and Technology, which will cover implant and fixation technology.
You can read more about the course outlines and the registration process Here.
Main topics covered include Sports Medicine, Trauma, Reconstruction, and Technology, which will cover implant and fixation technology.
You can read more about the course outlines and the registration process Here.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Another Review on MMi Anchorage Plates
Podiatry Today has released their July issue and they showcase the improved stability and compression yielded by the new MMi Anchorage locking plates. The new plates offer cross joint fixation through the plate without the need for a separate transverse screw. The plates are geared towards 1st MPJ arthrodesis and Lapidus Arthrodesis.
Read more about the new plates and how to apply them here, on their indivual product pages:
MMi: Anchorage Plating System: Lapidus CP Plate
MMi: Anchroage Plating System: MTP CP Plate
Read more about the new plates and how to apply them here, on their indivual product pages:
MMi: Anchorage Plating System: Lapidus CP Plate
MMi: Anchroage Plating System: MTP CP Plate
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)