Acquired adult flat foot due to isolated plantar calcaneonavicular (spring) ligament insufficiency with a normal tibialis posterior tendon

MRI features most often associated with surgically proven tears of the spring ligament complex

OBJECTIVES

The authors aim to present the common MRI appearances of surgically proven spring ligament tears as minimal radiological literature exists regarding injury to this increasingly important structure.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Our retrospective review identified a treatment group comprising 13 cases of surgically proven spring ligament injury and a 96-patient comparison group. All patients underwent standard musculoskeletal MRI sequences of the foot and ankle. Images were reviewed by a registrar-grade orthopedic surgeon and a consultant musculoskeletal radiologist for abnormalities of the spring ligament complex.

RESULTS

MRI findings in relation to surgically proven injury of the superior-medial portion of the spring ligament included proximal thickening >5 mm in 92 % and distal thinning <2 mm in 85 % of proven injures to the spring ligament complex. Common abnormalities of the medio-plantar portion comprised ligament thickening >7 mm in 31 % and intra-substance signal heterogenicity demonstrated in 38 % of cases.

CONCLUSIONS

The complex orientation of the medio-plantar ligament makes its evaluation unreliable due to the difficulty obtaining diagnostic quality imaging and our inability to correlate MRI findings in this portion of the ligament with surgically proven injury. However, MRI abnormalities of the superior-medial ligament are consistent, reproducible, and correlate with surgical pathology. As our incomplete understanding of the flexible flatfoot deformity evolves, our ability to recognize injury to the spring ligament may encourage novel surgical treatments looking to incorporate its repair or reconstruction into deformity correction.

Isolated spring ligament failure as a cause of adult-acquired flatfoot deformity

BACKGROUND

Adult-acquired flatfoot deformity is usually secondary to failure of the tibialis posterior tendon, with secondary injury to the surrounding osseous-ligamentous complex. Rarely, patients may present with a normal tibialis posterior tendon and an isolated injury of the plantar calcaneonavicular, or spring, ligament. The current study describes the clinical presentation and operative management of 6 patients with isolated spring ligament ruptures who presented with symptomatic flexible flatfoot deformities.

METHODS

Six consecutive patients with unilateral flatfoot deformities secondary to spring ligament failure were operatively treated at one institution between 2003 and 2010. All patients presented with symptomatic flatfoot deformities recalcitrant to conservative management. No patients had previous flatfoot reconstructive surgery, but all had undergone some combination of orthotic use, immobilization, or activity modifications prior to operative treatment. In each case, intraoperative findings demonstrated a tear of the spring ligament complex with a normal tibialis posterior tendon. To address the deformities, spring ligament repairs and adjunctive flatfoot reconstructions were performed. A retrospective chart study was performed to document patient presentation, demographics, and outcomes.

RESULTS

Average patient age was 42 years. All 6 patients were female. All patients presented with medial foot pain for a mean of 27 months prior to presentation. Spring ligament abnormality was demonstrated in all 5 patients who received preoperative magnetic resonance imaging. Intraoperatively, all 6 patients demonstrated spring ligament tears and no significant tibialis posterior tendon abnormality. All 6 patients underwent spring ligament repairs with or without adjunctive flatfoot reconstructions. At mean follow-up of 13 months, all but 1 patient were pain-free without orthotics, and all patients were without residual deformity. There was a single patient with delayed bone graft healing and no other minor or major complications in this series.

CONCLUSIONS

Adult-acquired flatfoot deformity is usually secondary to tibialis posterior tendon failure but in rare cases may be secondary to isolated spring ligament injury without tibialis posterior tendon abnormality. This unique clinical entity should be considered in patients who present with flatfoot deformities. In this study, although preoperative magnetic resonance imaging was not required, it identified a suspected spring ligament tear in all cases in which it was used. Thorough intraoperative exploration can identify an injury to the spring ligament and a normal tibialis posterior tendon. Failure to recognize an isolated spring ligament injury as the primary cause of a flatfoot deformity could lead to inappropriate operative management.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, retrospective study.

Tibialis posterior tendon and deltoid and spring ligament injuries in the elite athlete

The tibialis posterior tendon and the spring and deltoid ligament complexes combine to provide dynamic and passive stabilization on the medial side of the ankle and hindfoot. Some of the injuries will involve acute injury to previous healthy structures, but many will develop insidiously. The clinician must be aware of new treatment strategies and the level of accompanying scientific evidence regarding injuries sustained by athletes in these areas, while acknowledging that more traditional management applied to nonathletic patients is still likely to be appropriate in the setting of treatment for elite athletes.

The impact of foot insole on the energy consumption of flat-footed individuals during walking

BACKGROUND

The human foot contains one of the most variable structures of the body, which is the medial longitudinal arch. Decrease in the height of this arch results in a flat foot. Although there is some evidence regarding the influence of flat foot on gait performance of flat-footed individuals, there is no strong evidence to support the theory that being flat-footed has an effect on energy consumption. Therefore, the aim of this study was to find the relationship between flat foot and energy consumption.

METHOD

Two groups of normal and flat-footed participants were recruited in this research project. They were selected from the staff and students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The foot indexes of both groups were obtained using the footprint method with help of Solid worker software. The physiological cost index (PCI) of the participants was measured by the use of a heart rate monitoring system (Polar Electro, Finland). The differences between the PCIs of both groups of participants was determined using a t test. In addition, the influence of using an insole was evaluated using a paired t test.

RESULT

The energy consumption of flat-footed individuals differed significantly from that of normal individuals (the PCIs of normal and flat-footed individuals were 0.357 and 0.368 beats/m, respectively). Using a foot insole improved the performance of the flat-footed individuals during walking.

CONCLUSION

The PCI of flat-footed individuals is more than that of normal participants as a result of misalignment of foot structure. Moreover, using a foot insole improved foot alignment and decreased energy consumption.

PTT functional recovery in early stage II PTTD after tendon balancing and calcaneal lengthening osteotomy

BACKGROUND

The decision to offer surgery for Stage II posterior tibial tendon deficiency (PTTD) is a difficult one since orthotic treatment has been documented to be a viable alternative to surgery at this stage. Taking this into consideration we limited our treatment to bony realignment by a lengthening calcaneus Evans osteotomy and tendon balancing. The goal of the study was to clinically evaluate PTT functional recovery with this procedure.

METHOD

The patient population included 17 feet in 13 patients. Inclusion was limited to early Stage II PTTD flatfeet with grossly intact but deficient PTT. Deficiency was assessed by the lack of hindfoot inversion during single heel rise test. The surgical procedure included an Evans calcaneal opening wedge osteotomy with triceps surae and peroneus brevis tendon lengthening. PTT function at follow up was evaluated by an independent examiner. Evaluation was performed at an average of 4 (range, 2 to 6.3) years.

RESULTS

One case presented postoperative subtalar pain that required subtalar fusion. Every foot could perform a single heel rise with 13 feet having active inversion of the hindfoot during elevation.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study provide evidence of PTT functional recovery without augmentation in early Stage II. It challenges our understanding of early Stage II PTTD as well as the surgical guidelines recommending PTT augmentation at this specific stage.

The calcaneo-stop procedure

Flexible flatfoot is one of the most common deformities. Arthroereisis procedures are designed to correct this deformity. Among them, the calcaneo-stop is a procedure with both biomechanical and proprioceptive properties. It is designed for pediatric treatment. Results similar to endorthesis procedure are reported. Theoretically the procedure can be applied to adults if combined with other procedures to obtain a stable plantigrade foot, but medium-term follow up studies are missing.

Isolated spring ligament rupture causing acute flatfoot deformity: case report

Level of Evidence: V, Expert Opinion

Peritalar destabilisation syndrome (adult flatfoot with degenerative glenopathy)

In cases of adult acquired flatfoot associated with peritalar destabilisation, special reference is made to the plantar calcaneo-navicular (spring) ligament's degenerative disease (degenerative glenopathy) and to the presence of the accessory navicular bone as a possible pathogenic cause. Peritalar destabilization syndrome is proposed for the articular (subtalar and talo-navicular joints) or tendinosis (tibialis posterior tendon) separately or in association with degenerative glenopathy of the coxa pedis. In degenerative glenopathy surgical reconstruction of the glenoid also makes use of a posterior tibial split to create a new tibial-navicular ligament. The concept of pronatory syndrome deemed as the root the pathological subtalar pronation, which is an entirely secondary factor in peritalar destabilisation, must be questioned. We must keep in mind that subtalar pronation and supination are respectively subsequent to opening and closing of the coxa pedis (talo-calcaneo-navicular joint) kinetic chain.

MR imaging of deltoid ligament pathologic findings and associated impingement syndromes

Injuries of the deltoid ligament of the ankle are increasingly recognized with the widespread use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The use of higher magnetic field strengths requires familiarity with the anatomic substructure of the deltoid ligament to better localize and characterize pathologic findings. Specifically, improved image resolution allows components of the superficial (tibiocalcaneal, tibionavicular, posterior superficial tibiotalar, and tibiospring ligaments) and deep (anterior tibiotalar and posterior deep tibiotalar ligaments) portions of the ligament to be evaluated separately. Awareness of the deltoid ligament substructure and associated injury patterns can guide the radiologist in defining underlying mechanical derangement, such as that seen in various impingement disorders. In this review article, the MR imaging technique for the deltoid ligament is summarized, and the normal and abnormal MR imaging appearances of various components of the deltoid ligament and associated impingement syndromes are presented.

Novel reconstruction of a static medial ligamentous complex in a flatfoot model

BACKGROUND

Little progress has been made addressing reconstruction of the static medial ligamentous structures of the foot. The purpose of this investigation was to reconstruct a flatfoot deformity with a novel static medial ligamentous complex (MLC) and evaluate its ability to correct talar head subluxation and radiographic deformity in a cadaveric model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eight fresh frozen cadaveric specimens underwent cyclic preconditioning and static axial loading. Loading was applied to the intact foot, the severe flatfoot, and the reconstructed MLC foot. Anteroposterior (AP) and lateral radiographs were taken at each stage. The talo-first metatarsal angle, medial cuneiform height, talocalcaneal angle, and the calcaneal pitch angle were measured on the lateral views and the talo-first metatarsal angle was measured on the anteroposterior views.

RESULTS

Compared with the intact foot, the flatfoot showed significant change in the AP talo-first metatarsal angle (p = 0.001), the lateral talo-first metatarsal angle (p = 0.002), the medial cuneiform height (p = 0.007), the talocalcaneal angle (p = 0.03), and the calcaneal pitch angle (p = 0.018). After MLC reconstruction, there was a significant change in the AP talo-first metatarsal angle (p = 0.001), the lateral talo-first metatarsal angle (p = 0.002), and the medial cuneiform height (p = 0.007) and these values were not significantly different than the intact foot. The talocalcaneal angle and the calcaneal pitch angle remained significantly undercorrected after static MLC reconstruction.

CONCLUSION

Static MLC reconstruction was effective in correcting several key radiographic parameters in a cadaveric flatfoot model.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The surgical technique evaluated here may be useful as a new soft tissue reconstructive procedure for treating adult flatfoot.

Double calcaneal osteotomy and percutaneous tenoplasty for adequate arch restoration in adult flexible flat foot

Treatment of adult acquired flexible flat foot deformity can be problematic. Triple arthrodesis for structural correction has been the standard of care, thus sacrificing hind foot motion. The objective of this study was to assess the value of double calcaneal osteotomies in improving structural alignment while maintaining hind foot motion, which may further protect the function of adjacent motion segments. Double calcaneal osteotomies (Evans osteotomy and posterior calcaneal displacement osteotomy) were performed on 17 feet of 14 patients. Postoperative follow-up showed significant improvement in clinical foot and ankle scores.

Hindfoot alignment valgus moment arm increases in adult flatfoot with Achilles tendon contracture

BACKGROUND

Adult acquired flatfoot is often associated with Achilles tendon contracture and may be associated with isolated spring ligament insufficiency without Achilles tendon contracture. We have studied the hypothesis that standing valgus hindfoot alignment moment arm is increased in adult acquired flatfoot with Achilles tendon contracture when compared to adult acquired flatfoot without Achilles tendon contracture.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The standing hindfoot alignment, standing lateral tibial-calcaneal angle, lateral talo-first metatarsal angle, lateral medial cuneiform arch height, and anteroposterior talonavicular coverage angle were measured in 22 patients with a clinical diagnosis of adult acquired flatfoot with one foot with clinical Achilles tendon contracture and one without that diagnosis. We compared the adult acquired flatfoot group to a control group of 15 patients with no foot or ankle deformities or previous foot or ankle surgeries.

RESULTS

In patients with flatfoot and Achilles tendon contracture, there was a significantly increased valgus hindfoot alignment, talo-first metatarsal angle, talonavicular coverage angle, tibiocalcaneal angle and a decreased arch height when compared to the control group. In all flatfeet, we found an increased tibiocalcaneal angle. In both flatfoot groups, an increasing tibiocalcaneal angle and an increasing talo-first metatarsal angle was correlated to a decreasing arch height. In adult acquired flatfoot without Achilles tendon contracture diagnosed by clinical exam, an increasing talonavicular coverage angle was correlated to an increasing talo-first metatarsal angle and a decreasing arch height.

CONCLUSION

Adults with flatfoot and Achilles tendon contracture have a significantly increased standing hindfoot valgus alignment moment arm and other associated deformities.

Acquired unilateral pes planus in a child caused by a ruptured plantar calcaneonavicular (spring) ligament

A traumatic cause for acquired pes planus in children is uncommon and it is not often considered as a primary diagnosis. We describe a patient, who ruptured her plantar calcaneonavicular (spring) ligament and presented late with an acquired unilateral flat foot similar to a tibialis posterior rupture. Corrective surgery in the form of calcaneal osteotomy with iliac graft lengthening and medial advancement of tibialis posterior achieved excellent results with patient remaining asymptomatic and returning to routine activities. In the presence of an acute traumatic onset of unilateral pes planus, spring ligament and tibialis posterior tendon rupture should be considered in the differential diagnosis.