Is Reconstruction of Unstable Midfoot Charcot Neuroarthropathy Cost Effective from a US Payer's Perspective?

A Primer on Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

A cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is a type of health economics model that uses a systematic approach to simplify the complexities that exist in health-care decision-making. A CEA aids in medical decision-making by considering both the costs of a treatment and how effective that treatment is for at least 2 competing strategies. This article reviews major concepts of CEA including results interpretation, key attributes of CEA that make it differ from cost analysis, uncertainty surrounding analysis, and how/why CEA is an important contributor to the medical literature.

Diagnosis and treatment of active charcot neuro-osteoarthropathy in persons with diabetes mellitus: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

There are uncertainties regarding the diagnostic criteria, optimal treatment methods, interventions, monitoring and determination of remission of Charcot neuro-osteoarthropathy (CNO) of the foot and ankle in people with diabetes mellitus (DM). The aims of this systematic review are to investigate the evidence for the diagnosis and subsequent treatment, to clarify the objective methods for determining remission and to evaluate the evidence for the prevention of re-activation in people with CNO, DM and intact skin.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review based on clinical questions in the following categories: Diagnosis, Treatment, Identification of Remission and Prevention of Re-Activation in people with CNO, DM and intact skin. Included controlled studies were assessed for methodological quality and key data from all studies were extracted.

RESULTS

We identified 37 studies for inclusion in this systematic review. Fourteen retrospective and observational studies relevant to the diagnosis of active CNO with respect to clinical examination, imaging and blood laboratory tests in patients with DM and intact skin were included. We identified 18 studies relevant to the treatment of active CNO. These studies included those focused on offloading (total contact cast, removable/non-removable knee high devices), medical treatment and surgical treatment in the setting of active CNO. Five observational studies were identified regarding the identification of remission in patients who had been treated for active CNO. We did not identify any studies that met our inclusion criteria for the prevention of re-activation in patients with DM and intact skin who had been previously treated for active CNO and were in remission.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a paucity of high-quality data on the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of active CNO in people with DM and intact skin. Further research is warranted to address the issues surrounding this complex disease.

Guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of active Charcot neuro-osteoarthropathy in persons with diabetes mellitus (IWGDF 2023)

The International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) has published evidence-based guidelines on the prevention and management of diabetic foot disease since 1999. This is the first guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of active Charcot neuro-osteoarthropathy in persons with diabetes published by the IWGDF. We followed the GRADE Methodology to devise clinical questions in the PACO (Population, Assessment, Comparison, Outcome) and PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) format, conducted a systematic review of the medical literature, and developed recommendations with the rationale. The recommendations are based on the evidence from our systematic review, expert opinion when evidence was not available, and also taking into account weighing of the benefits and harms, patient preferences, feasibility and applicability, and costs related to an intervention. We here present the 2023 Guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of active Charcot neuro-osteoarthropathy in persons with diabetes mellitus and also suggest key future topics of research.

Long-Term Mortality After Charcot Reconstruction

Charcot neuroarthropathy is a complicated phenomenon with the potential to cause significant deformity, morbidity, and mortality. Costs associated with Charcot-related complications are substantial, with thousands of amputations occurring annually. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively review a single surgeon's experience and record the 10-year mortality rate among patients after Charcot reconstruction at a single institution between 2007 and 2013. Lower-extremity limb salvage is crucial to reduce the burden of Charcot neuroarthropathy. This article provides an example of the potential long-term success of reconstruction surgery for this condition.

The Impact of Underlying Conditions on Quality-of-Life Measurement Among Patients with Chronic Wounds, as Measured by Utility Values: A Review with an Additional Study

Significance: Quality of life (QoL) is important to patients with chronic wounds and is rarely formally evaluated. Understanding what comorbidities most affect the individual versus their wounds could be a key metric. Recent Advances: The last 20 years have seen substantial advances in QoL instruments and conversion of patient data to a single value known as the health utilities index (HUI). We review these advances, along with wound-related QoL, and analyze real-world comorbidities challenging wound care. Critical Issues: To understand the impact of underlying comorbidities in a real-world patient population, we examined a convenience sample of 382 patients seen at a hospital-based outpatient wound center. This quality reporting study falls outside the regulations that govern human subject research. Comorbid conditions were used to calculate HUIs using a variety of literature-reported approaches, while Wound-Quality-of-Life (W-QoL) questionnaire data were collected from patients during their first visit. The mean number of conditions per patient was 8; 229 patients (59.9%) had utility values for comorbidities/conditions, which were worse/lower than their wounds' values. Sixty-three (16.5%) patients had depression and/or anxiety, 64 (16.8%) had morbid obesity, and 204 (53.4%) had gait and mobility disorders, all of which could have affected W-QoL scoring. The mean minimum utility value (0.5) was within 0.05 units of an average of 13 studies reporting health utilities from wound care populations using the EuroQol 5 Dimension instrument. Future Directions: The comorbidity associated with the lowest utility value is what might most influence the QoL of patients with chronic wounds. This finding needs further investigation.

Comparison of Minimally Invasive and Open Approaches for Midfoot Charcot Neuroarthropathy Reconstruction

Charcot neuroarthropathy (CNA) is a progressive disease affecting the bones and joints of the foot that can lead to instability, breakdown, and collapse. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques are becoming a popular option within musculoskeletal surgery of the foot and ankle and may be an alternative to aggressive dissection seen during corrective surgery. An MIS approach minimizes vascular disruption, provides structural stability at an osteotomy or arthrodesis site, and encourages early mobilization if indicated. This retrospective study compares 17 patients who underwent an open approach for midfoot CNA reconstruction with 17 patients who underwent an MIS approach for midfoot CNA reconstruction. Preoperative and postoperative radiographic parameters were measured: lateral talus-first metatarsal, anteroposterior (AP) talus-first metatarsal, calcaneal pitch, and cuboid height. Difficulties that occurred during treatment were gathered and sorted into postoperative problems (stage I), obstacles (stage II), and complications (stage III). Changes from preoperative to postoperative radiographic lateral talus-first metatarsal and AP talus-first metatarsal angles were statistically significant (p < .001) for both the MIS and open approach. No true postoperative complications (stage III) were observed at last follow-up. The most common difficulty encountered was pin-site infection (stage I; in 23.5% of patients) in the MIS group. In the open group, the most common complications were wound development (stage I; 23.5%) and nonunions (stage II; 23.5%). Our findings suggest that midfoot CNA reconstruction with MIS methods offers similar outcomes to the open approach.

Management of Midfoot Charcot: Minimally Invasive Techniques and Improved Fixation

The objective of this article is to review the etiology and pathophysiology of Charcot neuroarthropathy as it contributes to the breakdown of the midfoot. The article will also discuss the emerging techniques in minimally invasive surgery and how this is applied to Charcot reconstructive surgery as well as reflect on a newer thought processes to surgical intervention.

Beaming the Charcot Foot

The Charcot diabetic foot presents unique challenges to the podiatric surgeon in the quest to salvage the limb. This disorder is an intersection of prototypical metabolic diseases and neurodegenerative disorder. Furthermore, it can be considered a disease of bone and ligaments that is often complicated by peripheral vascular disease and serious deep infection. Presently, simplistic ablative surgical procedures and the brace-makers art, still have a valid place in treating this disorder. Newer methods of surgical reconstruction are rapidly evolving to address distorted and nonfunctional limb. This article seeks to evidence the principles and practice of beaming the Charcot midfoot. As will be presented, the beam is a load-sharing device, which can be surgically introduced in an intramedullary method to restore architecture and strength to the Charcot foot. Problems with beam failure and migration have resulted in unsatisfactory outcomes as will be discussed. New Charcot-specific beams are currently reaching the podiatric surgeon with hopes of improving durability. In this article, we aim to address the surgical art of the beam, the engineering principles of beaming, and the novel introduction of a truss/tie rod configuration of beaming.