Foot & ankle
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Comparative Study
Experimental decompression of the fascial compartments of the foot--the basis for fasciotomy in acute compartment syndromes.
Surgical decompression of the foot by fasciotomy is the only effective means of preventing the late consequences of a compartment syndrome i.e., myoneural ischemia. In this study, a slit catheter system was used to monitor the compartment pressures in experimentally induced compartment syndromes of the foot. ⋯ However, it takes longer after effective fasciotomies for pressures to normalize via the dorsal approach (11 min versus 1 min; P less than 0.01). The double incision dorsal approach is easier to perform and may be the method of choice for fasciotomy associated with fractures of the forefoot requiring internal fixation.
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Pes planus has been suggested as a factor in the development of bunions in adolescents. This study objectively evaluated the radiographs of 36 adolescents with 66 hallux valgus deformities for the presence of associated flatfeet. ⋯ Only 26.6% of these adolescents had an increased intermetatarsal angle and 8.1% an abnormal metatarsus varus angle as compared with the published norms. Measurements of pes planus including talar pitch, calcaneal plantar angle, dorsoplantar talonavicular angle, and lateral talocalcaneal angle showed an incidence of flatfeet in adolescents with bunions that was 8 to 24 times greater than expected.