BACKGROUND: The functional outcome following ankle fractures that involve a posterior malleolar fragment is often not satisfactory, and treatment of this type of fracture remains controversial. Thorough knowledge of the pathologic anatomy of the posterior malleolar fracture is essential for planning appropriate treatment. Thus, we conducted a computed tomographic study to clarify the pathologic anatomy of the posterior malleolar fracture.

METHODS: Between 1999 and 2003, fifty-seven ...

Background: The functional outcome following ankle fractures that involve a posterior malleolar fragment is often not satisfactory, and treatment of this type of fracture remains controversial. Thorough knowledge of the pathologic anatomy of the posterior malleolar fracture is essential for planning appropriate treatment. Thus, we conducted a computed tomographic study to clarify the pathologic anatomy of the posterior malleolar fracture. Methods: Between 1999 and 2003, fifty-seven ...

BACKGROUND: We determined the preoperative and postoperative passing points of the mechanical axis of the lower limb at the level of the tibial plafond using a new method involving a full-length standing posteroanterior radiograph that includes the calcaneus (a hip-to-calcaneus radiograph) and correlated them to the clinical results after supramalleolar osteotomy for ankle osteoarthritis.

METHODS: We reviewed the hip-to-calcaneus radiographs of fifty lower limbs of forty-one patients ...

BACKGROUND: Avulsion fracture of the lateral ankle ligaments is often undetected on early radiographs. The epidemiology and treatment of such avulsion fractures have received much less attention than the epidemiology and treatment of rupture of these ligaments.

HYPOTHESIS: The clinical characteristics of avulsion fracture are different from those of ligament rupture. Unlike nonoperative treatment of lateral ligament rupture, nonoperative treatment of avulsion fracture does not yield ...

BACKGROUND: Researchers have found it difficult to recreate a Lauge-Hansen supination-external rotation-type ankle fracture in experimental settings. We hypothesized that a pronation-external rotation mechanism could cause both distal, short oblique and high fibular fractures and that the fracture type would be affected by associated, laterally directed forces applied to the foot. Methlods: Twenty-three cadaver ankles were subjected to fracture loading that replicated the Lauge-Hansen ...

BackgroundThe Clinical Outcomes Committee of the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot conducted a field survey using a novel foot and ankle outcome instrument. We report the development and evaluation of the Outcome Instrument version 1.Materials and methodsA total of 108 potential questions were extracted from literature published in the interval between 1990 and 2006. Tentative subscales proposed were “Degree of Foot Pain,” “Foot Pain-related,” “Physical Functioning and Daily ...

ABSTRACT Treatment of both chronic ruptures of the Achilles tendon with an extensive gap and severe chronic Achilles tendinosis remains challenging. Tendon transfer using the flexor hallucis longus, flexor digitorum longus, or peroneus brevis has been used for these injuries; however, functional donor-site morbidity and insufficient quality and quantity of autogenous tendon remain major concerns. Because 2003, we have used Achilles tendon allograft to reconstruct chronic ruptures of the ...

BackgroundThe Clinical Outcomes Committee of the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot (JSSF) has conducted the second Field Survey of the Outcome Instrument for the Foot and Ankle version 2.MethodsThe survey of the Outcome Instrument version 2, which was composed of 43 items, was performed in 313 patients (154 men and 159 women) who had pathological conditions related to the foot and ankle. Optional sports items in the Outcome Instrument version 2 were analyzed in 123 patients. ...

BACKGROUND: The Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot (JSSF) is developing a QOL questionnaire instrument for use in pathological conditions related to the foot and ankle. The main body of the outcome instrument (the Self-Administered Foot Evaluation Questionnaire, SAFE-Q version 2) consists of 34 questionnaire items, which provide five subscale scores (1: Pain and Pain-Related; 2: Physical Functioning and Daily Living; 3: Social Functioning; 4: Shoe-Related; and 5: General Health and ...

Background: Our goal was to quantify and visualize the three-dimensional loading relationship between the ligaments and articular surfaces of the ankle to identify and determine the stabilizing roles of these anatomical structures during the stance phase of gait. Materials and Methods: We applied discrete element analysis to computationally model the three-dimensional contact characteristics and ligament loading of the ankle joint. Physiologic loads approximating those at five positions ...

BACKGROUND: Clinical results of autologous osteochondral transplantation (AOT) for treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus have been mixed. T1ρ imaging can be used to noninvasively detect early cartilage degeneration.

PURPOSE OR HYPOTHESIS: To quantitatively assess, by means of T1ρ imaging, changes over time in the biochemical health of grafted cartilage after AOT for osteochondral lesions of the talus.

STUDY TYPE: Retrosepctive case series.

POPULATION: The study group comprised ...

The Ad Hoc Committee of Terminology of the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot (JSSF) proposes novel terminology for motion of the ankle, foot, and toe because there are some ambiguities in the current terminology. Articles were identified by searching the electronic databases of PubMed that compared definitions of American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), International Society of Biomechanics (ISB), and in the textbook of Kapandji as well as the American Academy of ...

BACKGROUND: In this study, we investigated the responsiveness of the Self-Administered Foot Evaluation Questionnaire (SAFE-Q) for patient's assessment before and after hallux valgus surgery.

METHODS: Patient-reported answers on the SAFE-Q and Short Form-36 (SF-36) before and at a mean of 3-4 and 9-12 months after hallux valgus surgery were analyzed. Data of 100 patients (92 women, eight men) from 36 institutions throughout Japan were used for analysis.

RESULTS: In all subscales of the ...