Objective:To evaluate the short-term clinical outcomes of minimally invasive surgery for severe hallux valgus deformity using absorbable screw fixation.Methods:This retrospective study included 35 patients with severe hallux valgus deformities treated with third-generation minimally invasive Chevron and Akin osteotomies (MICA) using absorbable screws at the Foot and Ankle Surgery Department of Guangzhou Orthopedic Hospital from January 2022 to January 2023. The cohort consisted of 2 males and 33 females, with an average age of 56.75±13.27 years (ranging from 20 to 72 years).There were 18 cases of left foot and 17 of right. Preoperative and 12-month postoperative radiographic and clinical data were collected and analyzed. Radiographic evaluations included measurements of the hallux valgus angle (HVA) and intermetatarsal angle (IMA) on weight-bearing foot X-ray films. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) hallux metatarsophalangeal-interphalangeal scale and the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain. All complications during follow-up were recorded to comprehensively assess surgical outcomes and safety.Results:All the 35 cases successfully underwent the surgery, with a surgery time of 61.5±3.2 minutes and intraoperative blood loss of 5.4±1.2 ml. No patients lost follow-up, with a mean follow-up of 15.65±2.48 months (ranging from12 to 19 months). At the final follow-up, the AOFAS score significantly improved from 39.8±4.7 preoperatively to 92.3±4.1 postoperatively ( P<0.05), and the VAS significantly decreased from 8.7±1.2 to 1.8±0.8 ( P<0.05). The HVA decreased from 42.5°±4.1° to 12.5°±3.7° ( P<0.05), and the IMA decreased from 18.5°±2.8° to 7.3°±2.1° ( P<0.05). Radiographic follow-up demonstrated complete osseous union at the osteotomy sites in all cases, with no complications of nonunion or displacement. 7 patients with concurrent gastrocnemius tightness underwent gastrocnemius release, and 11 patients with associated transfer metatarsalgia were treated with Weil osteotomy ( n=8) or metatarsal head recontouring ( n=3), achieving satisfactory outcomes for all cases. Complications were minimal, with 2 cases of localized numbness around the surgical incision observed on postoperative day 3; the symptoms were gone spontaneously 3 months postoperatively. No other major complications, such as infection, hematoma, or neurovascular injury, were observed. Conclusion:Minimally invasive surgery using absorbable screw fixation effectively improves clinical function and symptoms in patients with severe hallux valgus deformities without any major complications, suggesting that it is a safe and effective treatment option.

Objective:To evaluate the short-term clinical outcomes of minimally invasive surgery for severe hallux valgus deformity using absorbable screw fixation.Methods:This retrospective study included 35 patients with severe hallux valgus deformities treated with third-generation minimally invasive Chevron and Akin osteotomies (MICA) using absorbable screws at the Foot and Ankle Surgery Department of Guangzhou Orthopedic Hospital from January 2022 to January 2023. The cohort consisted of 2 males and 33 females, with an average age of 56.75±13.27 years (ranging from 20 to 72 years).There were 18 cases of left foot and 17 of right. Preoperative and 12-month postoperative radiographic and clinical data were collected and analyzed. Radiographic evaluations included measurements of the hallux valgus angle (HVA) and intermetatarsal angle (IMA) on weight-bearing foot X-ray films. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) hallux metatarsophalangeal-interphalangeal scale and the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain. All complications during follow-up were recorded to comprehensively assess surgical outcomes and safety.Results:All the 35 cases successfully underwent the surgery, with a surgery time of 61.5±3.2 minutes and intraoperative blood loss of 5.4±1.2 ml. No patients lost follow-up, with a mean follow-up of 15.65±2.48 months (ranging from12 to 19 months). At the final follow-up, the AOFAS score significantly improved from 39.8±4.7 preoperatively to 92.3±4.1 postoperatively ( P<0.05), and the VAS significantly decreased from 8.7±1.2 to 1.8±0.8 ( P<0.05). The HVA decreased from 42.5°±4.1° to 12.5°±3.7° ( P<0.05), and the IMA decreased from 18.5°±2.8° to 7.3°±2.1° ( P<0.05). Radiographic follow-up demonstrated complete osseous union at the osteotomy sites in all cases, with no complications of nonunion or displacement. 7 patients with concurrent gastrocnemius tightness underwent gastrocnemius release, and 11 patients with associated transfer metatarsalgia were treated with Weil osteotomy ( n=8) or metatarsal head recontouring ( n=3), achieving satisfactory outcomes for all cases. Complications were minimal, with 2 cases of localized numbness around the surgical incision observed on postoperative day 3; the symptoms were gone spontaneously 3 months postoperatively. No other major complications, such as infection, hematoma, or neurovascular injury, were observed. Conclusion:Minimally invasive surgery using absorbable screw fixation effectively improves clinical function and symptoms in patients with severe hallux valgus deformities without any major complications, suggesting that it is a safe and effective treatment option.

Optogenetics combines optics and genetic engineering to control specific gene expression and biological functions and has the advantages of precise spatiotemporal control,noninvasiveness,and high efficiency.Genetically modified photosensory sensors are engineered into proteins to modulate conformational changes with light stimulation.Therefore,optogenetic techniques can provide new insights into oral biological processes at different levels,ranging from the subcellular and cellular levels to neural circuits and behavioral models.Here,we introduce the origins of optogenetics and highlight the recent progress of optogenetic approaches in oral and craniofacial research,focusing on the ability to apply optogenetics to the study of basic scientific neural mechanisms and to establish different oral behavioral test models in vivo(orofacial movement,licking,eating,and drinking),such as channelrhodopsin(ChR),archaerhodopsin(Arch),and halorhodopsin from Natronomonas pharaonis(NpHR).We also review the synergic and antagonistic effects of optogenetics in preclinical studies of trigeminal neuralgia and maxillofacial cellulitis.In addition,optogenetic tools have been used to control the neurogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells in translational studies.Although the scope of optogenetic tools is increasing,there are limited large animal experiments and clinical studies in dental research.Potential future directions include exploring therapeutic strategies for addressing loss of taste in patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),studying oral bacterial biofilms,enhancing craniomaxillofacial and periodontal tissue regeneration,and elucidating the possible pathogenesis of dry sockets,xerostomia,and burning mouth syndrome.

Objective To compare the effects of arthroscopic surgery plus one or more posterior small incisions and the sinus tarsi approach in the treatment of calcaneal fracture.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted of the 85 patients with calcaneal fracture who had been treated from January 2017 to June 2017 at Department of Foot & Ankle Surgery,Guangzhou Orthopaedic Hospital.They were 43 men and 42 women,32 to 58 years of age (average,46.0 years).Arthroscopic surgery plus one or more posterior small incisions was performed in 40 of them while the sinus tarsi approach was used in the other 45 cases.The 2 groups were compared in terms of operation time,fracture healing time,incision complications and functions of the affected foot by the American Orthopedic Foot Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scores.Results There were no significant differences in the preoperative general data between the 2 groups,showing they were comparable (P ＞ 0.05).The average follow-up period for all the patients was 8 months (from 6 to 12 months).For the arthroscopic surgery group and sinus tarsi approach group,the fracture healing time was 8.6 ± 2.4 weeks and 8.9 ± 1.8 weeks,and the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot scores were 82.5 ± 5.6 and 85.1 ± 4.0,respectively,showing no significant differences between them (P ＞ O.05).The operation time in the arthroscopic surgery group (43.6 ±5.4 min) was significantly less than in the sinus tarsi approach group (56.5 ±6.4 minutes),and the rate of complications in the former[2.5％ (1/40)] significantly lower than in the latter[15.6％ (7/45)] (P ＜0.05).Conclusion Arthroscopic surgery plus one or more posterior small incisions may be a fine treatment for calcaneal fractures because postoperative incision complications can be reduced.

Objective To explore the outcomes of open reduction and internal fixation ( ORIF ) with transarticular screws for Lisfranc injuries and the postoperative incidence of symptomatic tarsometatarsal os-teoarthritis ( OA ) . Methods This retrospective study involved 28 patients who had been treated surgically at our institution between January 2009 and January 2015 for Lisfranc injuries. They were 18 males and 10 females, with an average age of 36. 1 years ( from 19 to 54 years ) . According to the Quenu-Kuss classifica-tion, 5 patients had type-A injury, 10 type-B injury ( 4 cases of type-B1 and 6 ones of type-B2 ) , and 13 type-C injury ( 8 cases of type-C1 and 5 ones of type-C2 ) . The patients underwent ORIF with screws for the 1st to the 3rd tarsometatarsal joints and ORIF with Kirschner wires for the 4th to the 5th tarsometatarsal joints within 2 weeks. After the Kirschner wires were removed 8 to 10 weeks postoperatively, progressive weight-bearing began. Functional outcomes were assessed according to the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ( AOFAS ) midfoot scores and visual analog scale ( VAS ) at final follow-ups. Results The mean duration of follow-up was 29. 9 months ( from 26 to 72 months ) . AOFAS scores revealed one excellent case, 22 good ones and 5 poor ones with an excellent to good rate of 82. 1％. The mean VAS score was 2. 8. Radiographic evidence of OA was noted in 20 patients ( 71. 4％, 20/28 ) , in 18 of whom ( 90. 0％) symp-tomatic OA was observed. There was no significant difference ( P=0. 399 ) in the incidence of symptomatic OA either between the patients with anatomic reduction ( 60. 9％, 14/23 ) and those without anatomical re-duction ( 80. 0％, 4/5 ) . Conclusions ORIF with transarticular screws can lead to good therapeutic outcomes for Lisfranc injuries. The incidence of symptomatic OA may not be related to the injury type or re-duction quality.