OBJECTIVE To investigate the role of weakness of the bilateral triceps surae muscles-the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles-in astasia without abasia and whether compensating for muscle weakness with ankle-foot orthoses improves this disability. DESIGN Case-control study of clinical findings and before and after trial of ankle-foot orthoses. SETTING Clinics of the departments of rehabilitatio...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate foot and ankle function in a series of patients undergoing fibula microvascular free tissue transfer. STUDY DESIGN A nonrandomized, nonblinded analysis was performed using the ankle-hindfoot scale as well as radiographic analysis to determine donor site morbidity. RESULTS Overall, foot ankle function was deemed to be good in this series of patients. Average ankle-hindf...

Ankle replacement continues to be a viable option for treating patients with ankle arthritis. Over the past 10 years, there has been a significant increase in the number of ankle replacement systems available for use. Current controversy centers on whether fixed- or mobile-bearing devices are most advantageous. Most total ankle systems used outside the United States are mobile-bearing devices, ...

 P. I. Akimau, MD, PhD, FRCS Orth, ST8 in Trauma and Orthopaedics, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics  W. M. Dakin, RN, Dip Orth Nursing, Staff Nurse, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics  C. Chadwick, FRCS Orth, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Sheffield Foot and Ankle Unit, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics  C. M. Blundell, MD, FRCS Orth, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Sheffield F...

Objectives. Despite increased awareness of the high prevalence and significance of foot and ankle problems in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), feet remain neglected. Reasons may include the perception that feet are difficult to assess, they are not included in the DAS28, and lack of freely available foot screening tools specific for RA. Methods. The Swindon Foot and Ankle Questionnaire (SFAQ) is a si...

Three-dimensional printed ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) have been used in stroke patients recently, but there was little evidence of gait improvement. Here, we designed a novel customized AFO with energy storage, named Energy-Storage 3D Printed Ankle-Foot Orthosis (ESP-AFO), and investigated its effects on improvement patients. 12 survivors were recruited (9 females/3 males, age: 55.58 ± 5.9 y/o). ...

While central (carotid-femoral) foot-to-foot pulse wave velocity (PWV) is considered to be the gold standard for the estimation of aortic arterial stiffness, peripheral foot-to-foot PWV (brachial-ankle, femoral-ankle, and carotid-radial) are being studied as substitutes of this central measurement. We present a novel methodology to assess theoretically these computed indexes and the hemodynamic...

This update summarizes recent research pertaining to the subspecialty of orthopaedic foot and ankle surgery that was published or presented between August 2009 and July 2010. The sources of these studies include The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American and British Volumes), Foot & Ankle International, and the proceedings of Specialty Day at the annual meeting of the American Academy of O...

Tendoscopy is an apparently safe and reliable procedure to manage some foot and ankle disorders.The most common foot and ankle tendoscopies are: Achilles; peroneal; and posterior tibial tendon.Tendoscopy may be used as an adjacent procedure to other techniques.Caution is recommended to avoid neurovascular injuries.Predominantly level IV and V studies are found in the literature, with no level I...

BACKGROUND The Polish orthopaedic literature lacks a tool to measure patient reported treatment outcomes in the foot and ankle. MATERIAL AND METHODS The translation and cultural adaptation of the Foot and Ankle Outcomes Questionnaire was performed in accordance with relevant guidelines. The Polish version of the questionnaire was tested to check its test retest reliability, internal consisten...