Foot & ankle international
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Ultrasonography is an emerging imaging modality which affords dynamic, real-time, cost-effective and surgeon controlled visualization of the foot and ankle. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of ultrasound guided injections for common injection sites in the foot and ankle. ⋯ Ultrasound's ability to display soft-tissue structures may be an advantage over blind injection and fluoroscopic injection techniques.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Comparison of 4.5- and 5.5-mm cannulated stainless steel screws for fifth metatarsal Jones fracture fixation.
Complications including delayed and nonunions, and extensive time nonweightbearing with conservative treatment of fifth metatarsal Jones fractures, have led authors to recommend surgical fixation for this fracture in athletes who wish to return to activity quickly. The optimal surgical procedure, however, has not been determined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of 5.5-mm cannulated screw fixation for fifth metatarsal stress fractures in athletes and compare them to an earlier cohort treated with a 4.5-mm screw. ⋯ The current study demonstrates the clinical effectiveness of the 5.5-mm screw. However, with the numbers available, we were unable to demonstrate significant improvement over the 4.5-mm screw and thus cannot conclude that a larger screw is more effective.
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In-shoe pressure redistribution to provide relief of forefoot pain in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is based on assumed links between pressure and pain. However, little is known about the size of the pressure change required to reduce pain or the capacity of other plantar regions to bear increased pressure. Our primary aim was to quantify the plantar pressure pain threshold (PPT) in RA and compare it to age- and gender-matched control participants. ⋯ Plantar PPTs in RA were 60% to 80% of the control group and may be helpful in predicting the amount of pressure reduction needed to relieve pain. This study provides further evidence that RA disturbs normal pain sensory mechanisms.
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Orthopaedic procedures have been reported to have the highest incidence of pain compared to other types of operations. There are limited studies in the literature that investigate postoperative pain. ⋯ The intensity of patients' preoperative pain was predictive of the anticipated postoperative pain. Patients' preoperative pain and anticipated postoperative pain were independently predictive of the 3-day postoperative pain. The higher pain intensity a patient experienced preoperatively suggested that their postoperative pain severity would be greater. Therefore, surgeons should be aware of these findings when treating postoperative pain after orthopaedic foot and ankle operations.