The Journal of foot and ankle surgery : official publication of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons
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Surgical repair of the Achilles tendon can lead to prolonged calf atrophy and functional limitations, even with early weightbearing. The use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has been studied in muscle rehabilitation programs following anterior cruciate ligament repair. Accelerated recovery and pain reduction were noted. ⋯ This prospective randomized controlled trial was undertaken to quantify and validate the effect and ability of NMES to minimize calf atrophy after acute or chronic repair. No statistically significant difference was found between active NMES and sham control group. There was a trend showing some maintenance of calf volume per MRI study.
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We examined the association of body mass index (BMI) with sociodemographic data, medical comorbidities and hospital admission following ambulatory foot and ankle surgery. We conducted an analysis utilizing data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2007 to 2016. Adult patients who underwent ankle surgery defined as ankle arthrodesis, ankle open reduction and internal fixation, and Achilles tendon repair in the outpatient setting. ⋯ The overall rate of postoperative complications was 0.03% (4/12,729). We found no significant association of BMI with hospital admission following multivariable logistic regression. We recommend that BMI alone should not be solely used to exclude patients from having ankle surgery performed in an outpatient setting, especially since this patient group makes up a significant proportion of orthopedic surgery.