Diabetic foot is a diabetes-related complication that often requires amputation due to ulcer, necrosis, infection, and wound healing problems. Amputation decreases ambulation ability and worsens the patient’s general condition. Thus, active gait training is important after amputation.Current Concepts: The level of amputation depends on the anatomical position, for example, toe amputation and transfemoral amputation. The impairment of ambulatory function is also determined by the position of amputation. Continuous rehabilitation exercise is encouraged for ambulation before surgery. Wound management and pain control are needed for early rehabilitation exercise after surgery. The maturation of the amputation stump is especially important and needed for prosthesis wearing. If the general condition of the patient permits, muscle strengthening exercises, joint range of motion exercises, and ambulation exercises should be started as soon as possible.Discussion and Conclusion: Sufficient understanding of functional decline after amputation is required. The clear goal of ambulation should be set in consideration of the patient’s general condition and ability to walk before surgery. The ultimate goal of amputation is not only to remove necrosis, ulcers, and infected tissues but also to restore ambulatory function. Thus, expertise and significant effort before and after surgery are required.

Diabetic foot is a diabetes-related complication that often requires amputation due to ulcer, necrosis, infection, and wound healing problems. Amputation decreases ambulation ability and worsens the patient’s general condition. Thus, active gait training is important after amputation.Current Concepts: The level of amputation depends on the anatomical position, for example, toe amputation and transfemoral amputation. The impairment of ambulatory function is also determined by the position of amputation. Continuous rehabilitation exercise is encouraged for ambulation before surgery. Wound management and pain control are needed for early rehabilitation exercise after surgery. The maturation of the amputation stump is especially important and needed for prosthesis wearing. If the general condition of the patient permits, muscle strengthening exercises, joint range of motion exercises, and ambulation exercises should be started as soon as possible.Discussion and Conclusion: Sufficient understanding of functional decline after amputation is required. The clear goal of ambulation should be set in consideration of the patient’s general condition and ability to walk before surgery. The ultimate goal of amputation is not only to remove necrosis, ulcers, and infected tissues but also to restore ambulatory function. Thus, expertise and significant effort before and after surgery are required.

Background: Patients with severe hindfoot Charcot neuroarthropathy may experience various complications following tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. Therefore, it is crucial to establish appropriate treatment plans to prevent potential complications and predict prognosis before surgery. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the degree of preoperative deformity in hindfoot Charcot neuroarthropathy on the outcomes of tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. Methods: Twenty patients who underwent tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis for hindfoot Charcot neuroarthropathy were grouped by the severity of their deformities into a mild deformity group (tibiotalar angle between 80° and 100° with minimal or no talar osteolysis) and a severe deformity group (tibiotalar angle < 80° or > 100°, or severe talar osteolysis precluding tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis and necessitating tibiocalcaneal arthrodesis). Their demographics, comorbidities, and various surgical outcomes were compared between the 2 groups. Additional analyses were conducted to determine the factors associated with poor clinical outcome, defined as the inability to achieve independent ambulation or the need for below-knee amputation. Results: There were no significant differences in demographics and comorbidities between the 2 groups. Postoperative clinical outcomes, including the rate of postoperative infection and poor clinical outcome (inability to walk independently or having undergone below-knee amputation), showed no significant differences between the 2 groups. In terms of radiological outcomes, the bony union rates were 66.7% in the mild deformity group and 54.5% in the severe deformity group, with no significant difference.Similarly, other radiological outcomes, such as postoperative malalignment and time to union, did not vary significantly between the 2 groups. Factors associated with poor clinical outcome were the presence of preoperative infected wound and postoperative infection. Conclusions The severity of preoperative coronal deformity or talar osteolysis was not associated with clinical or radiological outcomes of tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis for hindfoot Charcot neuroarthropathy. However, preoperative infected wound and postoperative infection were associated with poor clinical outcomes. Therefore, instead of early amputation in cases of severe coronal deformity or insufficient talar bone stock, limb salvage with tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis may be a viable alternative, with particular attention to patients with preoperative infected wound and postoperative infection.

Background: Patients with severe hindfoot Charcot neuroarthropathy may experience various complications following tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. Therefore, it is crucial to establish appropriate treatment plans to prevent potential complications and predict prognosis before surgery. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the degree of preoperative deformity in hindfoot Charcot neuroarthropathy on the outcomes of tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. Methods: Twenty patients who underwent tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis for hindfoot Charcot neuroarthropathy were grouped by the severity of their deformities into a mild deformity group (tibiotalar angle between 80° and 100° with minimal or no talar osteolysis) and a severe deformity group (tibiotalar angle < 80° or > 100°, or severe talar osteolysis precluding tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis and necessitating tibiocalcaneal arthrodesis). Their demographics, comorbidities, and various surgical outcomes were compared between the 2 groups. Additional analyses were conducted to determine the factors associated with poor clinical outcome, defined as the inability to achieve independent ambulation or the need for below-knee amputation. Results: There were no significant differences in demographics and comorbidities between the 2 groups. Postoperative clinical outcomes, including the rate of postoperative infection and poor clinical outcome (inability to walk independently or having undergone below-knee amputation), showed no significant differences between the 2 groups. In terms of radiological outcomes, the bony union rates were 66.7% in the mild deformity group and 54.5% in the severe deformity group, with no significant difference.Similarly, other radiological outcomes, such as postoperative malalignment and time to union, did not vary significantly between the 2 groups. Factors associated with poor clinical outcome were the presence of preoperative infected wound and postoperative infection. Conclusions The severity of preoperative coronal deformity or talar osteolysis was not associated with clinical or radiological outcomes of tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis for hindfoot Charcot neuroarthropathy. However, preoperative infected wound and postoperative infection were associated with poor clinical outcomes. Therefore, instead of early amputation in cases of severe coronal deformity or insufficient talar bone stock, limb salvage with tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis may be a viable alternative, with particular attention to patients with preoperative infected wound and postoperative infection.

Background: Patients with severe hindfoot Charcot neuroarthropathy may experience various complications following tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. Therefore, it is crucial to establish appropriate treatment plans to prevent potential complications and predict prognosis before surgery. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the degree of preoperative deformity in hindfoot Charcot neuroarthropathy on the outcomes of tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. Methods: Twenty patients who underwent tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis for hindfoot Charcot neuroarthropathy were grouped by the severity of their deformities into a mild deformity group (tibiotalar angle between 80° and 100° with minimal or no talar osteolysis) and a severe deformity group (tibiotalar angle < 80° or > 100°, or severe talar osteolysis precluding tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis and necessitating tibiocalcaneal arthrodesis). Their demographics, comorbidities, and various surgical outcomes were compared between the 2 groups. Additional analyses were conducted to determine the factors associated with poor clinical outcome, defined as the inability to achieve independent ambulation or the need for below-knee amputation. Results: There were no significant differences in demographics and comorbidities between the 2 groups. Postoperative clinical outcomes, including the rate of postoperative infection and poor clinical outcome (inability to walk independently or having undergone below-knee amputation), showed no significant differences between the 2 groups. In terms of radiological outcomes, the bony union rates were 66.7% in the mild deformity group and 54.5% in the severe deformity group, with no significant difference.Similarly, other radiological outcomes, such as postoperative malalignment and time to union, did not vary significantly between the 2 groups. Factors associated with poor clinical outcome were the presence of preoperative infected wound and postoperative infection. Conclusions The severity of preoperative coronal deformity or talar osteolysis was not associated with clinical or radiological outcomes of tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis for hindfoot Charcot neuroarthropathy. However, preoperative infected wound and postoperative infection were associated with poor clinical outcomes. Therefore, instead of early amputation in cases of severe coronal deformity or insufficient talar bone stock, limb salvage with tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis may be a viable alternative, with particular attention to patients with preoperative infected wound and postoperative infection.

Background: Patients with severe hindfoot Charcot neuroarthropathy may experience various complications following tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. Therefore, it is crucial to establish appropriate treatment plans to prevent potential complications and predict prognosis before surgery. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the degree of preoperative deformity in hindfoot Charcot neuroarthropathy on the outcomes of tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. Methods: Twenty patients who underwent tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis for hindfoot Charcot neuroarthropathy were grouped by the severity of their deformities into a mild deformity group (tibiotalar angle between 80° and 100° with minimal or no talar osteolysis) and a severe deformity group (tibiotalar angle < 80° or > 100°, or severe talar osteolysis precluding tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis and necessitating tibiocalcaneal arthrodesis). Their demographics, comorbidities, and various surgical outcomes were compared between the 2 groups. Additional analyses were conducted to determine the factors associated with poor clinical outcome, defined as the inability to achieve independent ambulation or the need for below-knee amputation. Results: There were no significant differences in demographics and comorbidities between the 2 groups. Postoperative clinical outcomes, including the rate of postoperative infection and poor clinical outcome (inability to walk independently or having undergone below-knee amputation), showed no significant differences between the 2 groups. In terms of radiological outcomes, the bony union rates were 66.7% in the mild deformity group and 54.5% in the severe deformity group, with no significant difference.Similarly, other radiological outcomes, such as postoperative malalignment and time to union, did not vary significantly between the 2 groups. Factors associated with poor clinical outcome were the presence of preoperative infected wound and postoperative infection. Conclusions The severity of preoperative coronal deformity or talar osteolysis was not associated with clinical or radiological outcomes of tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis for hindfoot Charcot neuroarthropathy. However, preoperative infected wound and postoperative infection were associated with poor clinical outcomes. Therefore, instead of early amputation in cases of severe coronal deformity or insufficient talar bone stock, limb salvage with tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis may be a viable alternative, with particular attention to patients with preoperative infected wound and postoperative infection.

Background and Objectives: The speech tests used to evaluate language performance in patients with bilateral deafness (BiD) and cochlear implant (CI) are problematic if applied to patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) because normal ear hearing should be excluded. Thus, we investigated the feasibility of using wireless connection to evaluate speech intelligibility of the CI ear in patients with SSD. Subjects and Methods: Patients with BiD and SSD were administered the word recognition scores (WRS) and speech intelligibility tests using an iPadbased wireless connection and conventional methods. To exclude normal side hearing in patients with SSD, masking noise and “plugged and muffed” method were used in the WRS and speech intelligibility tests, respectively. Results: In patients with BiD, the WRS and speech intelligibility tests results using wireless connection and conventional methods were similar. In patients with SSD, the WRS using masking noise in the normal hearing ear was similar to that of using wireless connection. However, 3 of 11 patients with SSD showed under-masked results if using the “plugged and muffed” method. Conclusions Speech intelligibility testing using wireless connection is a convenient and reliable method for evaluating CI performance in patients with SSD. The “plugged and muffed” method is not recommended for evaluating CI performance in patients with SSD.