Objective:To investigate the efficacy of osteochondral fragment fixation using bioabsorbable pins for Hepple Ⅱ osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT) in adolescents.Methods:Retrospective case analysis was used. The clinical data and follow-up results of 13 adolescent patients (13 feet) with Hepple Ⅱ OLT were all treated with osteochondral fragment fixation using bioabsorbable pins admitted to Shanghai Sixth People′s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January 2017 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 7 males and 6 females, with 13 right feet. The age was (14.85±2.23) years old, ranged from 12 to 18 years old. According to the American orthopedic foot and ankle society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score, visual analogue scale (VAS) and SF-36 score before operation and at the last follow-up were used to evaluate the efficacy and function of the patients. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as mean ± standard deviation( ± s), and the comparison between groups was conducted using the t-test; The mearsurement data with skewness distribution were expressed by M( Q1, Q3), and rank-sum test was used for inter-group comparison. Results:Thirteen adolescent patients (13 feet) with Hepple Ⅱ OLT underwent surgery successfully and were followed up for (25.54±9.95) months. All wounds healed by first intention, and no complications such as wound infection and delayed healing occurred. Preoperative AOFAS ankle-posterior foot score, VAS and SF-36 score were 58.62±3.55, 7.00 (6.50, 8.00) and 68.38±4.81, respectively. At the last follow-up, the scores were 97.38±2.73, 1.00 (0.00, 1.00), 91.15±4.28, respectively, and the results were significantly improved at the last follow-up, with the difference between the two groups statistically significant( P<0.05). Conclusion:Osteochondral fragment fixation using bioabsorbable pins which can promote cartilage repair, significantly improve symptoms, and achieve better clinical satisfaction with fewer complications, is a safe and effective surgical treatment option for Hepple Ⅱ OLT in adolescents with satisfactory short-term clinical outcomes.

Objective:To investigate the change of syndesmotic volume via CT scan in Danis-Weber B type ankle fracture, aiming to provide a non-invasive diagnostic method for Danis-Weber B type ankle fracture combined with syndesmotic injury.Methods:Retrospective analysis was performed on 48 patients with Danis-Weber B type ankle fractures in Shanghai Sixth People′s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January 2018 to March 2022, including 30 males and 18 females, aging (43.71±19.41) years. Ankle CT scans and three-dimensional reconstructions were performed before surgery and at the last follow-up, measuring the syndesmotic volume between the tibiotalar joint and 1, 3 and 5 cm above the ankle and compared with each other. Intraoperative exploration was used as the gold standard for the syndesmotic injury. Based on the results of exploration of the syndesmotic injury, patients were divided into simple ankle fracture group (fracture group, 25 cases) and ankle fracture combined with syndesmotic injury group (fracture + ligament group, 23 cases). The sensitivity and specificity of this diagnostic method were statistically evaluated. The assessments at the last follow-up were performed to value the clinical effect of surgery. The metric data conforming to the normal distribution were expressed as mean ± standard deviation ( ± s), and the t-tests were used for comparison between groups. The measurement data of skewed distribution were expressed as quartile M( Q1, Q3), and nonparametric tests were used for intergroup comparison. Counting data were expressed as number of cases and percentage (%), and Chi-square test were used for intergroup comparison. Results:In the fracture group, there were no statistically significant differences of the syndesmotic volume at 1, 3, and 5 cm above the ankle joint before surgery and at the last follow-up ( P=0.219, 0.269, 0.103). On the contrary, the volume above were statistically significant in the fracture + ligament group ( P<0.001). There were statistically significant differences in syndesmotic volume between the two groups at 1, 3, and 5 cm above the ankle joint preoperatively ( P=0.005, 0.004, 0.038). By contrast, there were no statistical differences between the two groups postoperatively ( P=0.082, 0.155, 0.249). For the sensitivity and specificity of Danis-Weber B type ankle fractures combined with syndesmotic injury, they were 92% and 67% at 1 cm above the ankle joint, 69% and 87% at 3 cm above the ankle joint, and 62% and 87% at 5 cm above the ankle joint, respectively. The last follow-up clinical function score indicated a good surgical outcome. Conclusions:Volumetric measurement via CT scan is one of the diagnostic methods for evaluating Danis-Weber B type ankle fracture combined with syndesmotic injurys. Open resection internal fixation combined with elastic fixation of the ankle fracture combined with syndesmotic injurys can significantly reduce the lower tibiofibular volume, and the efficacy is definite.

Osteochondral lesion of talus (OLT) is a foot and ankle disease characterized by ankle pain, which may impact the joint function and life quality. If managed improperly, it may lead to a further ankle arthritis, severely compromising the prognosis. The therapeutic effect of conservative treatment for OLT is still uncertain. Surgery is still the main treatment modality for OLT with various techniques. However, the optimized surgical technique is still inconclusive, furthermore, regeneration and repair of cartilage after debridement is also a great challenge for the treatment of OLT. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) with good repair effect on cartilage injury is gradually applied in the treatment of OLT. However, there still lacks the unified understanding of the technique and specification of PRP for the treatment of OLT. Therefore, National Orthopedics Center of Shanghai Sixth People′s Hospital allied Foot Ankle Basic Research & Orthopedics Group, Chinese Association of Orthopedic Surgeons; Foot and Ankle Committee of Chinese Association of Sports Medicine Physicians; and Foot and Ankle Group of Orthopedic Specialized Branch of Shanghai Medical Association to organize related experts to formulate the Expert consensus on platelet- rich plasma treatment for osteochondral lesion of talus ( version2023). Fifteen recommendations were put forward upon PRP preparation, indications, contraindications and treatment methods of PRP for OLT, so as to standardize the PRP treatment for OLT.

With the increasing of athletic injuries every year, the incidence of low-energy Lisfranc injuries has also increased. The clinical manifestations of this type of injury are often insidious, and the detection rate of regular imaging techniques is low, as a result, the clinical misdiagnosis rate is relatively high. Once the diagnosis and treatment are delayed, it may result in malunion or traumatic arthritis, leading to pain and functional disability, seriously affecting the patient′s quality of life, and ultimately requiring joint fusion for salvage. In view of this, this article will review the progress in diagnosis, classification and treatment of low-energy Lisfranc injuries to improve the clinical outcomes of such injuries.

Objectives:To explore the association between different blood pressure levels at baseline and early-onset heart disease among young adults under 40 years in China. Methods:This prospective cohort study included 35 993 subjects who participated in the physical examination of the employees of Kailuan Group for the first time from 2006 to 2012 and were younger than 40 years,with complete blood pressure data and had no history of heart disease.Participants were followed up to the end of 2021.The primary endpoint was early-onset heart disease(including coronary heart disease,atrial fibrillation,and heart failure).According to 2018 Chinese guidelines for the management of hypertension,the participants were divided into four groups:normal blood pressure group(n=13 208),elevated blood pressure group(n=16 576),stage 1 hypertension group(n=4 357),and stage 2-3 hypertension group(n=1 852).The cumulative incidence of heart disease among participants with different blood pressure levels at baseline was compared using log-rank test.Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to analyze the impact of different blood pressure levels at baseline on early-onset heart disease in this cohort. Results:After a mean follow-up of(12.5±2.6)years,the cumulative incidence of early-onset heart disease in normal blood pressure group,elevated blood pressure group,stage 1 hypertension group,stage 2-3 hypertension group were 0.47%,0.97%,3.56%and 4.42%respectively(log-rank P<0.01).After adjusting for confounding factors such as age and sex,Cox regression analysis showed that the HR(95%CI)of heart disease in the elevated blood pressure group,hypertension grade 1 group and hypertension grade 2-3 group were 1.59(1.12-2.24),2.08(1.41-3.08)and 3.20(2.11-4.85)(all P<0.01),respectively,compared with the normal blood pressure group. Conclusions:Elevated blood pressure is a risk factor for early-onset heart disease among young Chinese population.

Acute athletic injuries of foot and ankle may involve bony structures, ligaments and tendons, and most patients manifest as various degrees of swelling, pain and limited motion. Lacking of specificity, the injuries can be easily overlooked by the patients and even by the doctors. Furthermore, the diagnosis can not be confirmed in a portion of the injuries via a routine radiographic examination due to their obscurity, leading to a certain rate of tmiss diagnosis and misdiagnosis, which can be clarified by a detailed specialized physical and radiographic examination. For acute athletic injuries of foot and ankle, the miss diagnosis or misdiagnosis may lead to complications such as chronic joint instability, osteochondral lesion, impingement, and even post-traumatic arthritis, which severely impacts the patients′ life quality. Therefore, the authors discuss the issues requiring attention in the diagnosis and management of acute athletic injuries of foot and ankle to improve the clinical outcome of such pattern of injuries.

Objective:To evaluate the short-term outcome of arthroscopic modified Brostr?m procedure plus minimally invasive calcaneal osteotomy for the treatment of chronic lateral ankle instability combined with subtle cavus foot.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 12 patients suffering chronic lateral ankle instability combined with subtle cavus foot admitted to Shanghai Sixth People′s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University from November 2016 to November 2020, including 5 males and 7 females, aged 16-62 years [(40.3±15.1)years]. All patients were treated with arthroscopic modified Brostr?m procedure plus minimally invasive calcaneal osteotomy. The calcaneal pitch angle, Meary′s angle and medial cuneiform height on the foot weight-bearing lateral view plus calcaneus valgus angle on the hindfoot long axial view were compared to evaluate the improvement of bony structure and foot alignment preoperatively and at 3 months and 1 year postoperatively. At the same time, American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score and visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to evaluate the improvement of ankle function and pain. Postoperative complications were also observed and recorded.Results:All patients were followed up for 1-3 years [(1.6±0.6)years]. The calcaneal pitch angle was decreased from (24.6±5.3)° preoperatively to (22.5±4.9)° at postoperative 3 months and (22.3±5.0)° at postoperative 1 year; the Meary′s angle was decreased from 6.6°(5.2°,7.6°) preoperatively to 2.5°(0.5°,3.8°) at postoperative 3 months and 2.1°(0.5°,3.2°) at postoperative 1 year; the medial cuneiform height was decreased from (24.3±5.3)mm preoperatively to (22.3±4.8)mm at postoperative 3 months and (22.3±4.6)mm at postoperative 1 year; the calcaneus valgus angle was increased from -7.1°(-10.3°,-5.9°) preoperatively to 2.3°(-2.5°,4.5°) at postoperative 3 months and 2.4°(-1.6°,3.8°) at postoperative 1 year (all P<0.01). However, there were no significant differences in the calcaneal pitch angle, Meary′s angle, medial cuneiform height, and calcaneus valgus angle at postoperative 3 months and 1 year (all P>0.05). AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score was increased from (66.8±8.7)points preoperatively to (81.0±5.9)points at postoperative 3 months and (88.6±3.6)points at postoperative 1 year (all P<0.01). According to AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score, the results were excellent in four patients and good in eight patients at postoperative 1 year, with the excellent and good rate of 100%. VAS was decreased from 2.5(2.0,4.0)points preoperatively to 2.0(1.3,2.8)points at postoperative 3 months and 1.0(0,2.0)points at postoperative 1 year (all P<0.01). There were significant differences in the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score and VAS at postoperative 3 months and 1 year (all P<0.05). Wound malunion was seen in one patient, and healed with a dress changing. All patients had no complications such as vascular or nerve injury. There was no recurrence of malformation or joint instability during 1-year follow-up. Conclusion:For chronic lateral ankle instability combined with subtle cavus foot, arthroscopic modified Brostr?m procedure plus minimally invasive calcaneal osteotomy can stabilize ankle joint, correct hindfoot alignment, improve function and relieve pain.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of posterior ankle arthroscopic microfracture with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection for the treatment of posterior osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT).Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted on clinical data of 13 patients with posterior OLT admitted to Shanghai Sixth People′s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University from September 2019 to October 2020. There were 10 males and 3 females, aged 10-65 years [(38.2±15.9)years]. According to Hepple′s classification, four patients were with type II, three with type IV, and six with type V. According to Elias′ grid scheme, nine patients were in zone 7 and four patients in zone 9. The disease duration was 13-51 months [(26.2±11.4)months]. All patients underwent posterior ankle arthroscopic microfracture with PRP injection. The operation time was recorded. The visual analogue scale (VAS), American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score, and ankle range of motion (ROM) were compared before operation and at 3 months and 1 year after operation. The magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue (MOCART) score was used to evaluate the repair of cartilage injury at 1 year after operation. Complications were recorded.Results:All patients were followed up for 12-25 months [(15.7±3.7)months]. The operation time ranged from 50 to 90 minutes [(63.8±13.3)minutes]. The VAS improved from 3.0(3.0, 4.0)points before operation to 1.0(0, 2.0)points at 3 months after operation and 1.0(0,1.5)points at 1 year after operation; the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score was improved from (66.1±11.8)points before operation to (84.8±9.5)points at 3 months after operation and (92.9±8.6)points at 1 year after operation; the ankle ROM was improved from (48.5±7.5)° before operation to (61.9±10.3)° at 3 months after operation and (65.4±11.8)° at 1 year after operation (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in VAS at 3 months and 1 year after operation ( P>0.05). There were significant differences in AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score and ankle ROM at 3 months and 1 year after operation (all P<0.05). According to AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score, the results were excellent in 11 patients, good in one, and fair in one, with the excellent and good rate of 92%. The MOCART score was 40-85 points [(70.4±14.2)points] at 1 year after operation. There was no postoperative necrosis, infection or neurovascular injury. Two patients had slight transient pain during rehabilitation training and were improved after non-surgical treatment. Conclusion:For posterior OLT, posterior ankle arthroscopic microfracture with PRP injection can effectively alleviate pain, improve ankle function and repair cartilage damage, with satisfactory short-term efficacy.

Objective:To evaluate the mid-term efficacy of surgery for sub-acute injury to distal tibiofibular syndesmosis associated with ankle fracture.Methods:From July 2014 to October 2019, 14 patients were treated at Foot & Ankle Section, Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital for sub-acute injury to distal tibiofibular syndesmosis associated with ankle fracture.There were 11 males and 3 females, aged from 17 to 61 years (mean, 35.9 years).According to Danis-Weber classification, 6 cases were type B and 8 type C; according to Lauge-Hansen classification, 7 cases belonged to supination-external rotation, one to pronation-abduction, and 6 to pronation-external rotation (Maisonneuve fracture in 4).The syndesmosis injury was treated by fixation with distal tibiofibular screws in 11 cases, by Tightrope elastic fixation in one, by hybrid fixation with distal tibiofibular screws and Tightrope in one, and by distal tibiofibular fusion in one.Postoperative complications were recorded.Their visual analogue scale (VAS) and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot scores (AOFAS-AH) were compared between preoperation and the last follow-up.Results:The 14 patients were followed up for 24 to 85 months (mean, 46.8 months). Of the 9 patients whose distal tibiofibular screws had been removed (including one with hybrid fixation), wound infection occurred in one after removal of all the internal fixation, distal tibiofibular widening in 2, ankle degeneration in 5 and fibular nonunion in one. Of the other 3 patients whose distal tibiofibular screws had not been removed, screw breakage happened in 2, screw loosening in one and distal tibiofibular widening in one. The VAS scores were significantly improved from preoperative 6.8±0.9 to 1.4±1.3 at the last follow-up; the AOFAS-AH scores were increased significantly from preoperative 35.3±6.3 to 86.8±11.7 at the last follow-up (both P<0.001). According to AOFAS-AH scores, 8 cases were excellent, 4 good and 2 moderate. Conclusion:Surgery for sub-acute injury to distal tibiofibular syndesmosis associated with ankle fracture can restabilize the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis and ankle joint, reduce pain and improve ankle function, leading to fine mid-term efficacy.

Objective:To study the morphology of dorsal medial talar neck osteophyte (DMTNO) and its association with anteromedial ankle impingement syndrome (AAIS) using CT 3D reconstruction images.Methods:The present retrospective study included 23 patients with AAIS due to DMTNO (case group) and 23 patients with DMTNO but without AAIS (control group) who had been admitted from February 2019 to June 2021. Multi-slice CT data (DICOM) of DMTNO in both groups were collected and imported into Arigin 3D Pro 3D reconstruction software to reconstruct and observe the 3D morphology of DMTNO. The dorsal convex distance, medial convex distance and anterior convex distance of DMTNO were measured to find their association with AAIS.Results:In the case group, DMTNO clearly showed a flat polyhedral shape with a large base and a small top; in the control group, DMTNO showed various shapes that were different mainly in an irregular top but similar in a large, long and narrow base. The dorsal convex distance [(8.07±2.30) mm] and medial convex distance [(6.70±2.62) mm] in the case group were significantly larger than those in the control group [(3.59±1.10) mm and (1.98±0.93) mm] ( P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the anterior convex distance ( P>0.05). Conclusions:The DMTNO leading to AAIS shows a flat polyhedral shape with a large base and a small top. No correlation is found between the anterior convex and AAIS whereas the dorsal convex and medial convex of DMTNO may be closely associated with AAIS.