The influence of smoking on foot and ankle surgery: a review of the literature

The effect of tobacco smoking on foot and ankle procedures is likely to be more pronounced when compared to other orthopaedic surgery. This is due to the peripheral nature of the vasculature involved. This paper reviews the current clinical evidence on the effects of smoking foot and ankle surgery. In the trauma setting, the evidence suggests that wound complications and non-unions are significantly higher in the smoking population. In the elective setting there is a significantly increased risk of non-union in ankle and hindfoot arthrodeses in smokers. In the setting of diabetes, ulceration rate in smokers is higher and there may be a higher risk of amputation.     

Proximally Based Split Abductor Hallucis Turnover Flap for Medial Hindfoot Reconstruction: A Case Report

Limited reconstructive options exist for soft tissue defects of the foot and ankle because of a lack of surrounding tissue. Although microsurgical free flaps have become a popular treatment modality for this anatomic region, pedicled muscle flaps can provide robust coverage of small foot wounds with significantly less donor site comorbidity. One such muscle is the abductor hallucis, which can be used as a proximally based turnover flap to cover medial hindfoot defects. However, complete distal disinsertion of the muscle may lead to loss of support over the medial arch and first metatarsophalangeal joint, leading to pes planus and hallux valgus. In this case report, we describe a modified technique of a split abductor hallucis turnover flap for a young patient with a chronic, traumatic medial heel wound complicated by calcaneal osteomyelitis. By preserving part of the muscle's distal tendinous attachment, this technique allows for adequate soft tissue coverage while maintaining long-term biomechanical function.     

Outcomes of Foot Infections Secondary to Puncture Injuries in Patients With and Without Diabetes

It is difficult to compare foot infections in patients with diabetes to those without diabetes because foot infections are uncommon in people without diabetes. The aim of this study is to compare clinical outcomes in people with and without diabetes admitted to the hospital for an infected puncture wound. We evaluated 114 consecutive patients from June 2011 to March 2019 with foot infection resulting from a puncture injury; 83 had diabetes and 31 did not have diabetes. We evaluated peripheral arterial disease (PAD), sensory neuropathy, the need for surgery and amputation, length of hospitalization, and presence of osteomyelitis. Patients with diabetes were 31 times more likely to have neuropathy (91.6% versus 25.8%, p < .001, confidence interval [CI] 10.2 to 95.3), 8 times more likely to have PAD (34.9% versus 6.5%, p = .002, CI 1.7 to 35), and 7 times more likely to have kidney disease (19.3% versus 3.2%, p < .05, CI 0.9 to 56.5). They also took longer before presenting to the hospital (mean 20.1 ± 36.3 versus 18.8 ± 34.8 days, p = .09, CI 13 to 26.5); however, this result was not statistically significant. Patients with diabetes were 9 times more likely to have osteomyelitis (37.3% versus 6.5%, p = .001, CI 1.9 to 38.8). In addition, they were more likely to require surgery (95% versus 77%, p < .001, CI 1.6 to 21.4), required more surgeries (2.7 ± 1.3 versus 1.3 ± 0.8, p < .00001, CI 2.1 to 2.5), were 14 times more likely to have amputations (48.2% versus 6.5%, p < .0001, CI 3.0 to 60.2), and had 2 times longer hospital stays (16.2 ± 10.6 versus 7.5 ± 9 days, p = .0001, CI 11.9 to 15.9. Infected puncture wounds in patients with diabetes often fair much worse with more detrimental outcomes than those in patients without diabetes.     

Who should do endovascular repair of complex aortic aneurysms and how should they do them?

BackgroundCure of aneurysms which involve the aorta at the level of the visceral arteries and the thoracoabdominal segment remains a considerable surgical enterprise with a relatively high mortality and morbidity despite improvements of the surgical procedure and anesthetic technique. Fenestrated and branched endovascular stent grafts are currently available offering an attractive less invasive option especially for most frail patients. These grafts are relatively recent, technically more demanding to insert than the current stent graft for infrarenal aneurysm and besides, given the relative low frequency of the disease, they are much less used by practitioners. Thus, unconditional widespread of this sophisticated technique may not necessarily benefit patients.MethodsWe reviewed our experiences and articles regarding this concern, 1) who should perform this new technique and 2) in what kind of setting.ConclusionBased on the combined complexities of 1) patients selection, 2) proper planning and manufacturing of the graft, 3) the need for outstanding imaging and operating facilities, 4) and the required endovascular skill of physicians involved in the procedure, we feel that only highly specialized centers should be allowed to perform this complex procedure.     

A nationwide post-marketing survey of knowledge,attitude and practice toward human papillomavirus vaccine in general population: Implications for vaccine roll-out in mainland China

BackgroundHuman papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been increasingly discussed in mainland China since its first approval in 2016. To date, nearly all studies assessing HPV vaccine perceptions and attitudes were implemented during pre-licensure period. Therefore, the nationwide post-marketing survey was conducted to update knowledge, attitudes and practice on HPV vaccine among general population in mainland China.MethodsParticipants aged 18–45 years living in mainland China were recruited in April 2019 by multi-stage non-randomized sampling. Sociodemographic factors, HPV and HPV vaccine related awareness, knowledge, attitudes, vaccine uptake and potential obstacles were assessed in questionnaires. Bivariate analysis and multivariate regression were used to identify disparity among subgroups with different sociodemographic characteristics.Results4,000 women (32.1 ± 7.81y) and 1,000 men (31.8 ± 7.96y) were included in final analysis. Less than one third of participants had heard of HPV (female: 31%; male: 22%) and HPV vaccine (female: 34%; male: 23%). Knowledge score was also unfavorable on HPV (female: 3 out of 13; male: 1.8 out of 13) and HPV vaccine (female: 3 out of 6; male: 2 out of 5). Only 3% females had been vaccinated three years after HPV licensure in China, although willingness to get vaccinated among those unvaccinated were high (mean willingness score ± SD: female: 3.3 ± 0.97; male: 3.0 ± 0.98). Industry of employment and household income were the major factors related to awareness and knowledge of vaccine, whereas HPV and HPV vaccine awareness were key influential factors for willingness. The main obstacles of vaccination were safety concerns, lack of knowledge, and high price of HPV vaccines.ConclusionsFindings highlight a lack of vaccine awareness, knowledge, and poor uptake in mainland China and underscore the necessity of health education campaigns. The identified priority groups, contents to be delivered and practical obstacles could furthermore provide insight into health education to reduce disparities and accelerate HPV vaccine roll-out in China.     

Characterization of 114 insertion/deletion (INDEL) polymorphisms,and selection for a global INDEL panel for human identification

Bi-Allelic Insertions and Deletions (INDELs) are a powerful set of genetic markers for Human Identification (HID). They have certain desirable features, such as low mutation rates, no stutter, and potentially small amplicon sizes that could prove effective in some circumstances. In this study, we analyzed the distribution of 114 INDELs in four North American populations (Caucasian, African American, Southwest Hispanic, and Asian) to estimate their distribution in major global populations. Of the 114 INDELs a primary panel of 38 candidate markers was selected that met the criteria of (1) a minimum allele frequency of greater than 0.20 across the populations studied; (2) general concordance with Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) expectations; (3) relatively low F_ST based on the major populations; (4) physical distance between markers greater than 40 Mbp; and (5) a lack of linkage disequilibria between syntenic markers. Additionally, another 11 supplemental markers were selected for an expanded panel of 49 markers which met the above criteria, with the exception that they are separated at least by 20 Mbp. The resulting panels had Random Match Probabilities that were at least 10⁻¹⁶ and 10⁻¹⁹, respectively, and combined F_ST values of approximately 0.02. Given these findings, these INDELs should be useful for HID.     

Osteochondral defects of the talus: radiological appearance and surgical candidate profiling — A retrospective analysis

BackgroundOsteochondral defects of the talus (OCD) are a well-established pathology within the ankle. They are most commonly associated with ankle trauma and whilst many are asymptomatic, they can have a significant negative impact on the patient, most notably with regards pain and mobility.Treatment of these lesions remains variable across the diverse cohort of these patients.AimsEvaluating the incidence of talus OCDs.Evaluating anatomic and morphologic data of the lesions against previous studies.Establishing if there was there any associated ligamentous injury.Determining the cohort of patients who were considered/underwent surgical intervention.MethodsA retrospective review was performed on patients presenting to a single Scottish Hospital with Talar OCDs between 2012–2016.Data collected included radiological appearance of the lesions (location and size), clinical history, associated ligament injury, treatment given and subsequent outcome.Categorical variables were presented as count and percentage while non-parametric variables were presented as median and interquartile range.Results90 new cases that matched our inclusion criteria were identified.Using the Raikin classification, the majority of injuries are in the posteromedial (26%), centrolateral (21%), and centromedial (18%) segments of the talus. Of note, no lesions were identified in the posterocentral segment.46% of patients had an associated ligamentous injury, either in the form of a sprain or tear. Most commonly the injury involved both ATFL and CFL (82%). 70% of patients that underwent surgery had radiological evidence of ligamentous injury.No statistically significant difference was identified between the management option and the involved segment according to Orr/Raikin classifications.ConclusionTalus osteochondral defects are a pathology which is more common than originally thought and their treatment remain a controversial topic. Little is known about the physical history of the condition as most cases are asymptomatic, thus poorly documented by definition.There is a clear opportunity and need for further research into developing evidence-based guidelines for their management. This study tried to correlate the management of OCDs with epidemiological and radiological data.     

雌激素缺乏导致的骨质疏松发病过程中骨髓间充质干细胞FasL表达降低对CD4+T淋巴细胞凋亡的影响

 目的：研究雌激素在骨质疏松发病过程中导致骨髓间充质干细胞（BMMSCs）Fas配体（FasL）表达降低对CD4+T淋巴细胞凋亡的作用。方法：选用8周龄健康雌性小鼠行双侧卵巢切除术(OVX),建立绝经后骨质疏松模型。选用同一批次周龄相同、体重相近的健康小鼠行双侧卵巢附近脂肪组织部分切除,建立假手术组（sham）,Micro-CT确定模型成功建立。流式细胞术对BMMSCs行表型鉴定,将OVX组、sham组和sham+雌激素刺激组BMMSCs与激活的T淋巴细胞共培养,以Annexin V/7-AAD/CD4流式细胞仪计数3组共培养体系中CD4+T淋巴细胞的凋亡差异,用实时荧光定量PCR和Western blotting检测OVX组、sham组及不同浓度雌激素刺激BMMSCs后FasL的表达情况。结果：流式检测显示sham+雌激素刺激组CD4+T淋巴细胞凋亡程度大于sham组(P<0.05),sham组CD4+T淋巴细胞凋亡程度大于OVX组(P<0.05),实时荧光定量PCR及Western blotting显示OVX组FasL mRNA及蛋白水平表达都较sham组低。在一定范围内不同浓度雌激素刺激下的sham组BMMSCs中FasL mRNA及蛋白表达与雌激素浓度呈梯度上升。结论：雌激素能够调控BMMSCs中FasL的表达,雌激素调控BMMSCs表达FasL能够影响CD4+T淋巴细胞凋亡的改变,这可能与绝经后骨质疏松发病相关。