Musculo-venous "pump" of the foot in patients with varicose disease

Methods of rheovasography, phlebotonometry and phlebography of the foot were used for studying the musculo-venous "pump" of the foot in 75 patients with varicose disease. It was found that the latter is responsible for up to 30% of the venous return of blood from lower extremities in walking. Dysfunction of the foot musculo-venous "pump" makes its appearance in patients with varicose disease at the decompensation stage with complicated course of the disease. The preoperative examination of the patients must establish the functional state of this structure, the correction of the alterations found being included in the operation volume.     

Hemodynamic aspects of the treatment of patients with "critical ischemia" of the lower extremities

A complex examination of 60 patients with different stages of disturbances of blood circulation (by the Fontain classification) with chronic arterial insufficiency was performed. Specific features of regional hemodynamics were revealed in patient with "critical ischemia" (3rd and 4th stages of the disease). Threshold values of the "critical ischemia" were determined, most informative of them being the malleolus index and oxygen pressure on the foot. An analysis of results of the investigation in the dynamics of the treatment performed has shown possible effectiveness of restorative operations in treatment of patients with severe stages of chronic arterial insufficiency.     

Improvement of the quality of life of elderly patients with syndrome of "diabetic foot"

The immediate and long-term results of treatment of 198 gerontological patients with the "diabetic foot" syndrome were analyzed from the standpoint of quality of life. The main group consists of 125 patients who underwent reconstructive operations. The control group includes 73 patients who underwent primary amputation. Reconstructive operations could save extremity in 87% of patients, amputation on the femur was made in 14 (11.2%), shank -in 2, amputation at the level of foot and toes in 67 (53.6%). Lethality after the primary amputation in the nearest period was 22% (16 patients). Overall survival within 5 years in the main group was 87.2%, lethality 12.2%; survival in the control group was 35.6%, lethality--64.4%. So, the reconstructive operations can considerably improve quality of life of gerontological patients in the nearest and long-term periods.     

Dysvascular lower extremity reconstruction using free flaps with a "Y" configuration of the arterial pedicle

For patients with a dysvascular lower extremity, free flaps have been transferred by end-to-side anastomosis, in order to maintain peripheral circulation. For such patients, the authors have applied free flap transfers with a "Y" configuration of the arterial pedicle. Eight free flaps with a Y configuration of the arterial pedicle were used in seven patients: latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flaps in six, and scapular flaps in two. For the former, flaps were harvested with the subscapular and circumflex scapular arteries forming a Y pedicle in three cases, and with the thoracodorsal artery and the branch of the serratus anterior muscle in three. For the scapular flap transfers, the flap was harvested with the subscapular and thoracodorsal arteries forming a Y pedicle in one case, and with the circumflex scapular artery and the descending branch in the other. This procedure was performed for single-artery extremities in two cases. One developed arterial thrombosis of the branch to the foot, but removal of the thrombus and reanastomosis resulted in peripheral blood circulation being maintained. Eventually, all flaps survived. This procedure is indicated in patients with lower-leg reconstruction, especially with vascular disease.     

Detection and treatment of lower extremity neuropathy in patients with diabetic foot]

Possibilities of diagnosis and treatment of the lower extremities neuropathy were studied in 118 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Neurological examination, investigation of algesic, vibratory and temperature sensibility, thermography of feet were done in each patient. Electrostimulation treatment using therapeutic-diagnostic complex "Salut 11" was applied in 47 patients. Algesic syndrome and paresthesia occurs in the absence of the ulcerative-necrotic changes of foot or together with disorders of passability of the lower extremity main arteries. Ulcerative-necrotic changes of the foot tissues, caused by diabetic microangiopathy, are observed in the absence of pain and paresthesia, witnessing the presence of various mechanisms of the diabetic neuropathy occurrence. Application of the alpha-lipoic acid preparations had promoted the reduction of the pain and paresthesia intensity in 63% of patients. Usage of the lower extremities electromyoneurostimulation with the help of permanent impulsive current promotes the healing improvement of the purulent-necrotic wounds and ulcers of foot in patients with DM.     

"Z" incision and surgical access to the plantar aspect of the foot

The authors describe their experience with the "Z" incision, when extensive surgery is performed on the plantar aspect of the foot.     

Peripheral neuropathy in the hands of diabetic patients with lower extremity amputations

One hundred unilateral ambulatory lower extremity amputees underwent sensibility testing of their remaining foot and right hands to determine if the magnitude of peripheral neuropathy present in the feet of patients with diabetes was of greater magnitude than that in their hands. Testing was performed with a series of Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments. Ninety-one of the subjects were male, and 9 were female. Sixty-five were diabetic, 40 required insulin. The magnitude of peripheral neuropathy was compared between the hands and feet of patients with and without diabetes, and between insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetics. There was a slight trend to a more severe degree of insensitivity in the feet as compared with the hands in each of the individual groups. There was no statistically significant difference when comparing hand and foot sensibility in any of the comparison groupings. The quantitative amount of peripheral neuropathy appears to affect the hands and feet of diabetics in a similar "stocking-glove" fashion. The results of this screening gives further support to the concept of prophylactic foot care programs in diabetics with peripheral neuropathy to decrease the risk for the development of foot ulcers, which are often the precursor of eventual lower extremity amputation.     

Reconstructive surgery of sequelae of compartment syndrome of the lower leg and/or foot. Presentation of a new classification

The sequelae of an undiagnosed insufficiently treated or unpreventable (by crush injury) compartment or postischemic syndrome, most often after lower leg fracture or popliteal artery injury, are caused by necrosis and contracture of the extrinsic foot muscles. Therefore claw toes, pes equinus or other forms, such as a severe pes equino varus related to the compartment involved will decide the kind of foot deformity. In cases of a combined compartment syndrome of the lower leg and foot, not only the extrinsic but also the intrinsic muscles especially the short flexors are involved, leading to extensive claw toeing of the hallux and the lesser toes as well. In the case of an isolated compartment syndrome of the foot one will see contracted hammer toes most often after open or third degree closed calcaneal fractures. A new classification of all the different deformities of the foot and ankle as sequelae of a compartment and/or postischemic syndrome, is introduced distinguishing 5 degrees of deformity. Between 1994 and 2006, a total of 66 patients with sequelae of a compartment and/or postischemic syndrome were treated at the Department of Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery of the University Hospital"Carl Gustav Carus" of the Technical University of Dresden. Patients with contract hammer toes after calcaneal fractures were seen most often (n=26). Another large group of 24 patients suffered from the sequelae of a compartment and/or postischemic syndrome of the extrinsic muscles of the superficial and deeper compartment of the flexor tendons, producing a severe pes equino varus. Less common (n=16) were the deformities caused by an isolated compartment syndrome, such as necrosis of the anterior tibialis, long extensor muscles, peroneal muscles or a combined compartment syndrome of the lower leg and foot.     

The "kick-off" position: a new sign for early diagnosis of complex regional pain syndrome in the leg

BACKGROUND: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a clinical entity that develops after a precipitating injury. It involves dysfunction of the sensory, autonomic, and motor systems and frequently is missed on initial presentation. The purpose of this report was to describe a simple clinical sign that can aid in its diagnosis. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of 39 consecutive patients with CRPS type I or II seen in a foot and ankle clinic between October, 2001, and May, 2005. The diagnosis was based on clinical findings. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients had type I (67%) and 13 patients had type II (33%) CRPS. The most common nerve involved in type II was the superficial peroneal nerve. Each patient, while sitting on the exam table, held the affected extremity with the knee extended against gravity. When the leg was pushed back to a relaxed and suspended position, the patient eventually involuntarily resumed the extended position. This position in which the patients held their legs was termed the "kick-off" position sign. Nine patients were seen at the foot and ankle clinic within 6 weeks of the initial inciting event and had an established "kick-off" position sign within 3 months from the time of injury. The disappearance of this sign correlated with the subsidence of pain. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CRPS have variable clinical presentations. The awareness of this simple observation in the right clinical setting should raise the index of suspicion of CRPS in the differential diagnosis. Early treatment of this syndrome is associated with better outcome.     

Through-and-through gunshot wounds to the foot: the "Fearless Fosdick" injury

Through-and-through gunshot wounds of the foot present the unique problem of needing to fill a defect while at the same time providing coverage of the dorsum and plantar surface of the foot. A series of 5 patients from 2 institutions is presented. These patients all sustained gunshot wounds that penetrated the forefoot, leaving a rim of uninjured soft tissue and bone around the periphery. All patients were reconstructed with free-tissue transfers, but no bone grafting was required to replace missing bone. One patient did have an arthrodesis and wedge osteotomy to help with walking mechanics. Soft-tissue reconstruction only is adequate to restore the foot sufficiently to allow the patient to walk satisfactorily.     

Diabetic Neuropathy: Is Pain God's Greatest Gift to Mankind?

Diabetic neuropathy is common and it has been estimated that around 40% of older type 2 diabetic patients have risk factors for foot ulceration. It is the loss of the "gift of pain" that results in the development of what should be preventable foot lesions in many patients. As neuropathy is silent in up to 50% of patients, all diabetic patients should receive an annual screening by careful examination of the lower limbs for evidence of any sensory loss or peripheral vascular disease. Similarly, it must be remembered when treating neuropathic foot lesions that patients will willingly weight-bear on plantar ulcers: suitable offloading is therefore the first-line treatment for such lesions.     

Indirect revascularization of the lower extremity by means of microvascular free-muscle flap--a preliminary report

We describe the treatment of a patient with end-stage peripheral vascular disease and ischemic ulceration of the lower extremity in whom an obliteration of the distal arterial bed precluded conventional arterial reconstruction. A nonhealing dorsal foot ulcer was debrided, and soft tissue reconstruction was accomplished by the free microsurgical transfer of a muscle flap to the distal lower extremity. Arterial inflow to this free flap was provided by a contralateral reversed saphenous vein graft from the proximal arterial tree of the leg. This procedure resulted in a healed wound, stable coverage, and limb salvage. The patient also noted complete relief of rest pain and improvement in his claudication symptoms. A follow-up arteriogram was done 2 months after surgery. Contrast injection directly into the artery of this flap showed new blood vessel growth from the muscle flap into the foot with anastomoses of these "new vessels" to the patient's native circulation. This experience suggests that limb salvage may be possible by the free microvascular transplantation of a muscle flap onto the limb in selected patients whose limbs are deemed "nonreconstructible."     

"Islands of ischemia": transcutaneous PtcO2 documentation of pedal malperfusion following lower limb revascularization

Doppler, pulse volume recording (PVR) and transcutaneous oxygen (PtcO2) mapping was performed in eleven patients (group I) before and after uniform revascularization of ischemic limbs. Group I results were compared to three patients (group II) whose ischemic ulcers healed poorly following successful bypass. Inhaled oxygen was used to magnify oxygen gradients comparing foot, below-the-knee, and chest values. Significant postoperative increases in Doppler index from 0.42 to 0.89 and decreases in PVR class from 3.1 to 1.2 (P less than 0.001) were found in groups I and II. Revascularization increased the below-the-knee PtcO2 from 48 to 57 mm Hg (P less than 0.05) and foot PtcO2 from 30 to 57 mm Hg (P less than 0.01). Inhaled oxygen delineated limitation of limb oxygen transfer and demonstrated the completeness of revascularization. Despite comparable revascularization in groups I and II, PtcO2 values of less than 20 mm Hg were measured adjacent to areas of persistent ulceration. Transcutaneous oxygen monitoring clearly delineates successive revascularization. Nonhealing foot ulcers following revascularization are "islands of ischemia" due to multiple causes.     

Treatment of residual clubfoot deformity--the "bean-shaped" foot--by opening wedge medial cuneiform osteotomy and closing wedge cuboid osteotomy. Clinical review and cadaver correlations

Six patients (seven feet) previously treated surgically for clubfoot had a "bean-shaped" foot. Opening wedge medial cuneiform and closing wedge cuboid osteotomies were done, resulting in good resolution of the prominent midfoot supination and forefoot adductus without significant soft tissue dissection and invasion of growing areas in the foot. Cadaver reproductions show that the cuboid closing wedge is responsible for the change in the midfoot, whereas the cuboid and cuneiform osteotomies both contribute to the change in the forefoot.     

Why critical limb ischemia criteria are not applicable to diabetic foot and what the consequences are

Neuropathy, peripheral arterial occlusive disease and microvascular disturbances are important factors contributing to foot problems in diabetic patients. In the diabetic foot with ischemia, the alterations in skin microvascular function are pronounced including severely reduced capillary circulation and abolished hyperaemic responses. These microvascular disturbances, which are superimposed on the already existing structural diabetic microangiopathy, are compatible with a state of "chronic capillary ischemia" and an increased shunting of blood through arteriovenous channels. This maldistribution of blood in skin microcirculation is not detected by measurement of peripheral blood pressure (systolic ankle blood pressure, systolic toe blood pressure). As indicated in several studies toe blood pressure is a poor predictor of local tissue perfusion, tissue survival and healing of chronic foot ulcers. Consequently, the disturbances in peripheral tissue perfusion of the diabetic foot may be underestimated leading to delayed vascular interventions and/or medical treatment. Thus, measurements of peripheral blood pressure, e.g. toe blood pressure, should be combined with investigations of local tissue perfusion in order to get an adequate estimation of peripheral tissue perfusion in diabetic patients. For this purpose local skin microcirculation can be investigated by transcutaneous oxygen tension of the forefoot. Also, due to these reasons, the threshold for revascularization should be lower in diabetic patients with foot ulcer.     

非恒定蒂胫后动脉链式穿支皮瓣的临床应用

目的探讨应用胫后动脉穿支皮瓣修复小腿及足踝部皮肤软组织缺损的新方法。方法应用非恒定蒂胫后动脉链式穿支皮瓣修复小腿及足踝部皮肤软组织缺损32例,术前应用多普勒血流仪探测胫后动脉皮支位置,利用各皮支形成的链式供血方式,选择距创面直线距离最近的皮支点做为旋转点切取皮瓣修复创面。结果经1.5个月～2年的随访,所有皮瓣均成活良好,外观满意,无手术并发症。结论非恒定蒂胫后动脉链式穿支皮瓣不受蒂部位置的限制,切取灵活方便,符合以最小的供区代价换取最佳的修复效果的基本原则,是一种修复小腿及足踝部皮肤软组织缺损的理想术式。     

Reconstructive measures for the foot after compartment syndrome]

Following severe indirect and/or direct trauma to the foot, compartment syndrome can easily develop in this foot. Untreated, the compartment syndrome results in a complex post-traumatic deformity--the "short foot syndrome." This may manifest itself as a contracted pes equinovarus foot with clawing of the toes. Isolated compartment syndrome of the foot due to local injury may result in the formation of hammer toes. During childhood and adolescence, severe soft tissue injuries to the lower leg or foot, with subsequent compartment syndrome of the foot or a neurovascular injury to the lower limb, may result in an alteration in growth of the affected region or may involve the foot. Radiological assessment of this contracted "short foot" using sonography or MRI demonstrates scarred, necrotic musculature mainly involving the muscles of the posterior tibia, the flexor hallucis and the flexor digitum. Muscular imbalance due to long-standing muscle palsies, or chronic post-traumatic osteitis of the tibia contribute to the development of rigid equinus foot and ankle. Treatment of the contracted foot includes complex soft tissue release, muscle and tendon transfer, tendon-lengthening procedures, and intrinsic releases to correct the toe deformities. In the adult with a severe post-traumatic pes equino-varus deformity, triple arthrodesis is recommended.     

A quantitative method of determining the pneumatic ankle tourniquet setting

Pneumatic ankle tourniquets are currently used in podiatry for maintaining hemostasis during foot surgery. The literature is limited concerning the safest pressure to use with this device. This study was undertaken to develop a simple and reliable method of deriving a proper pressure setting that would be safe and efficacious. Using a Doppler stethoscope, the minimum effective tourniquet pressure was established on 54 limbs from 35 patients undergoing foot surgery at our institution. The average pressure needed to obtain a "bloodless field" was 218.6 +/- 34.6 mm. Hg. However, in the younger, normotensive patients the average pressure utilized was 203.9 +/- 22.3 mm. Hg. The lower pressures used were felt to be safer and better tolerated by the patients. The authors concluded that the minimum effective pressure should be determined for each patient preoperatively and the routine use of a maximum safe pressure of 250 mm. Hg should be discouraged.     

Clinical practice of functional electrical stimulation: from "Yesterday" to "Today"

Abstract:  Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is an accepted treatment method for paresis or paralysis after spinal cord and head injury as well as stroke and other neurological upper motor neuron disorders. At the beginning, FES worked like an electrophysiological brace for the correction of drop foot of patients after a stroke. When analyzing early accomplishments, it becomes evident that FES was influenced rather by technological and biomedical engineering development than by contemporary knowledge on neurocontrol of movement in individuals with upper motor neuron paralysis. Nevertheless, with better understanding of pathophysiology of spasticity and neurocontrol of impaired movement, FES advanced from an electrophysiological brace to a treatment modality for the improvement of muscle control, neuroaugmentation of residual movements, and supportive procedure for "spontaneous recovery" of motor control. In the present article we shall illustrate barriers which delayed FES to be applied in clinical practice of neuron rehabilitation from "Yesterday" to "Today." We shall discuss the importance to apply FES early after the onset of neurological conditions to prevent disuse of noninjured portions of the CNS. Moreover, FES can play a significant role in the supporting processes of neuroplasticity in the subacute phase of upper motor neuron dysfunction. Therefore, the electrophysiological brace of "Yesterday" provides "Today" a correction of missing neuromuscular function. At the same time, it is an active external device for the correction of motor deficits interacting with the somatosensory-motor integration. Thus, "Yesterday" and "Today" of the same technological approach can be very different, thanks to a different understanding and assessment of "external" and "internal" components of human motor control.     

Benchmark analysis of diabetic patients with neuropathic (Charcot) foot deformity.

During a 10-year period, 237 patients (129 women, 108 men) with a diagnosis of neuropathic (Charcot) arthropathy of the foot and ankle were treated in a tertiary care university hospital medical center. During this period, 115 of the patients (48.5%) were treated nonoperatively as outpatients with local skin and nail care, accommodative shoe wear, and custom foot orthoses. A total of 120 (50.6%) underwent 143 operations. Surgery included 21 major limb amputations, 29 ankle fusions, 26 hindfoot fusions, 23 exostectomies, and 23 debridements for osteomyelitis. It is widely accepted that patients with diabetes are at risk for developing foot ulcers, which can lead to lower extremity amputation. Within the population of diabetic patients, it is widely accepted that patients with neuropathic (Charcot) arthropathy of the foot and ankle have one of the highest likelihoods of having to undergo lower extremity amputation. The current emphasis in care of the foot of a diabetic patient involves a multidisciplinary team approach combining patient education, skin and nail care, and accommodative shoe wear. As data from prophylactic programs become available, resource allocation and cost of care can be compared with this benchmark baseline. This benchmark analysis can be used by those who are responsible for allocating resources and projecting healthcare costs for this "high utilization"/high risk patient population.