Treatment of the Infected Extended Ankle Arthrodesis After Tibiotalocalcaneal Retrograde Nailing:

Tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis

Combined arthrodesis of the ankle and subtalar joint is a challenging but potentially rewarding procedure for certain patients. The author discusses multiple aspects of the procedure from patient counseling to postoperative complications.

The role of polymethylmethacrylate antibiotic-loaded cement in addition to debridement for the treatment of soft tissue and osseous infections of the foot and ankle

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) has been used in skeletal surgery for >40 years as a means of securing prosthetic implants and more recently was used as a delivery agent for local high-dose antibiotics to treat soft tissue and osseous infections. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of PMMA antibiotic-loaded cement (PMMA-ALC) in combination with aggressive debridement for the treatment of foot and ankle soft tissue and osseous infections requiring operative intervention. A retrospective observational cohort study of prospectively collected data was performed for all patients who underwent aggressive debridement with placement of PMMA-ALC for foot and ankle soft tissue and osseous infections between July 2006 and January 2009. There were 35 (29 men, 6 women) patients, 29 who had diabetes, with a mean age of 61 1 13 years (range, 16-86 years). A total of 36 feet/ankles (20 right, 16 left) were involved, and the infections were anatomically divided into 6 groups: (1) toes (n = 9), (2) metatarsalphalangeal joints (MTPJ) (first MTPJ, n = 5; fifth MTPJ, n = 5), (3) forefoot (n = 11), (4) rearfoot (n = 4), and (6) ankle/lower leg (n = 3). All patients had confirmed bacterial infection via microbiologic or pathologic analysis before PMMA-ALC insertion. A total of 73 cultures were obtained at the time of PMMA-ALC removal, with 66 showing no bacterial growth (90.4%) and 7 positive for bacterial growth (9.6%). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly cultured organism both preoperatively and postoperatively. When combined with aggressive irrigation and debridement, the use of PMMA-ALC appears to be a beneficial adjunctive therapy for the treatment of foot and ankle soft tissue and osseous infections.

Limb salvage: the infected retrograde tibiotalocalcaneal intramedullary nail

Tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis utilizing a retrograde intramedullary nail has been used for nearly a decade. The indications for retrograde intramedullary nailing to achieve a tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis have expanded from systemic arthritides and post-traumatic arthritis to use in diabetic patients with severe Charcot neurarthropathy and hindfoot malalignment. Results with this procedure have been good, with low infection rates when used in nonimmunocompromised hosts. As indications have expanded to include diabetic deformities, infection rates may increase. We report on the results of a salvage technique and management plan utilized in the treatment of infected tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis in five high-risk (immunocompromised) patients. The majority of these patients had diabetes with Cierny-Mader IVB osteomyelitis, and would have required an above-knee or below-knee amputation due to their infection.