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Osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT) represent an abnormality of the articular cartilage and sub-chondral bone. The abnormality is typically associated with trauma though the exact aetiology remains unknown. Multiple staging systems have been developed to classify the abnormality and management can vary from conservative treatment to different surgical options. Early diagnosis is essential for optimal outcome and all imaging modalities have a role to play in patient management. The aim of this article is to review the pathology, classification, multimodality imaging appearances of OLT, and how the imaging affects patient management., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Institute of Radiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The sinus tarsi is a funnel-shaped region at the junction of mid-foot and hind-foot which contains fat, vessels, nerves and ligaments. The ligaments help stabilise the subtalar joint and maintain the longitudinal arch of the foot. The nerve endings contain proprioceptive fibres indicating a role for the sinus tarsi in movement of the foot. Sinus tarsi syndrome is a clinical entity characterised by lateral hind-foot pain with worsening on palpation and weight-bearing, and perceived instability. It is associated with both traumatic and non-traumatic causes. Magnetic resonance imaging is the imaging modality of choice for assessment of the sinus tarsi and sinus tarsi syndrome. In this review article, we review the anatomy and various aetiologies of sinus tarsi syndrome, along with the imaging appearances., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Crown Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Talonavicular arthrodesis is associated with a rate of non-union that ranges from 3 % to 37 %. Various fixation devices have been reported for talonavicular arthrodesis including screws, staples, plates, K-wires and intraosseous fix systems, however there is no definitive gold standard. This systematic review aims to compare clinical outcomes between different fixation devices for talonavicular arthrodesis., Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL and Google Scholar were reviewed for studies reporting on outcomes of different fixation techniques for talonavicular arthrodesis indicated for osteoarthritis, inflammatory and post-traumatic arthritis from 1946 to 2021. The primary outcome measure was union rate. Secondary outcome measures included functional improvement, cost, quality of life and patient satisfaction., Results: 9 articles involving 141 cases of talonavicular arthrodesis were identified. Fusion rates were as follows: screw fixation (n = 75): 87.5 % to 100 %, staple fixation (n = 13): 100 %, intraosseous fix system (n = 16): 100 %, and K-wire fixation (n = 2): 100 %. One study utilised a dorsal locking plate with two supplemented compression screws (n = 9, fusion rate= 100 %) and two studies used a combination of screws with staples (n = 26, fusion rate= 96 %). 7 of 9 studies measured functional outcomes and pain relief with improvement demonstrated in all fixation techniques. Quality of life, satisfaction and cost were inadequately reported amongst the included studies. All studies were rated as serious risk of bias., Conclusion: This systematic review consolidates the evidence for outcomes of different fixation techniques for TN arthrodesis, however a definitive judgement regarding the best fixation technique is unobtainable from current clinical evidence, due to lack of high-quality studies. With review of biomechanical studies and the limited clinical data, fixation with plate plus screw is most promising and would warrant further comparative study., Level of Evidence: IV., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement Conflicts of Interest Statement, (Crown Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Charcot Neuroarthropathy (CN) of the ankle/hindfoot is a devastating condition that results in a loss of alignment, bony malleolar protrusions and frequently leads to ulceration, infection, and amputation. Major limb amputations in this patient population has a 5-year mortality rate approximating 39%-68%. The treatment goal for CN of the ankle/hindfoot is to provide stability with a plantigrade foot that is infection free, shoeable and allows independent weight bearing. The use of a circular frame external fixator is often required when treating patients with CN of the ankle/hindfoot because they often present late with deformity, soft tissue compromise and infection which are contraindications to primary internal fixation. These patients require urgent surgical attention to salvage the limb or risk amputation. In this narrative review article we will discuss the indications, management options, surgical technique, evidence and describe our experience in the use of circular frame external fixation in patients with ankle/hindfoot Charcot Neuroarthropathy., Competing Interests: BM Conflict of interest – Dr Brian Martin has consultancy agreements with Orthofix and Bone Support. He also owns shares in BoneSupport. JC Conflict of interest – none declared., (© 2021 Delhi Orthopedic Association. All rights reserved.)

Concomitant valgus deformities of the ankle joint are found in approximately 3% of patients with symptomatic flat foot deformities. Conservative treatment is mostly successful only in the short term or in low-demand patients. The operative treatment of flat foot deformities follows the standard algorithm for flat foot treatment. The ankle joint can be treated while retaining mobility or by arthrodesis depending on the degree and rigidity of the deformity, degenerative changes, patient factors and expectations. Achieving an orthograde hindfoot and midfoot is obligatory for successful treatment as well as in ankle reconstructive or arthrodesis procedures.

Background: A scientifically sound validated foot and ankle specific score validated ab initio for different languages is missing. The aim of a project of the European Foot and Ankle Society (EFAS) was to develop, validate, and publish a new score(the EFAS-Score) for different European languages., Methods: The EFAS Score was developed and validated in three stages: (1) item (question) identification, (2) item reduction and scale exploration, (3) confirmatory analyses and responsiveness. The following score specifications were chosen: scale/subscale (Likert 0-4), questionnaire based, outcome measure, patient related outcome measurement. For stage 3, data were collected pre-operatively and at a minimum follow-up of 3 months and mean follow-up of 6 months. Item reduction, scale exploration, confirmatory analyses and responsiveness were executed using analyses from classical test theory and item response theory., Results: Stage 1 resulted in 31 general and 7 sports related questions. In stage 2, a 6-item general EFAS Score was constructed using English, German, French and Swedish language data. In stage 3, internal consistency of the scale was confirmed in seven languages: the original four languages, plus Dutch, Italian and Polish (Cronbach's Alpha >0.86 in all language versions). Responsiveness was good, with moderate to large effect sizes in all languages, and significant positive association between the EFAS Score and patient-reported improvement. No sound EFAS Sports Score could be constructed., Conclusions: The multi-language EFAS Score was successfully validated in the orthopaedic ankle and foot surgery patient population, including a wide variety of foot and ankle pathologies. All score versions are freely available at www.efas.co., (Copyright © 2018 European Foot and Ankle Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The present article presents a short summary concerning the pathomechanisms and clinical presentation of foot deformities in Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome. Furthermore, a classification system is introduced and based on a recently performed review of the literature an operative treatment algorithm is provided. The operative technique of the following surgical procedures is described in more detail: 1. dorsiflexion osteotomy at the base of the 1st metatarsus, 2. dorsiflexion osteotomy at the base of a lesser metatarsal bone, 3. claw hallux correction including fusion of the first phalangeal joint, 4. claw toe correction, 5. transfer of extensor digitorum longus tendons to the peroneal tendons and finally 6. tibialis posterior tendon transfer to the dorsiflexors of the foot.

Introduction: Various methods using CT scan have been described to diagnose distal tibiofibular syndesmotic injuries. However, CT scan does not take into account the amount of cartilage within the distal tibiofibular joint and could therefore lead to false positive results. We present the first study correlating the findings of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis on CT and MRI scans., Methods: CT and MRI scan of consecutive patients over a period of 18 months, and of a time lapsed less than 12 months between the two imaging modalities, were reviewed. Measurements of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis were taken according to a previously published study at the level of the distal tibial physeal scar., Results: Twenty-six ankles from 25 patients were included in this study for analysis. Significant difference between CT and MRI assessments in the overall distal tibiofibular dimensions and in the posterior distal tibiofibular distance for those ankles with evidence of osteoarthritis was found. Interclass correlation coefficients suggest that such methodology was reproducible and reliable., Conclusion: When the widening found on a CT scan is minor or the diagnosis is equivocal, a contralateral comparative CT or an ipsilateral MRI scan is recommended to prevent misdiagnosis., Level of Evidence: Level IV., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Despite recent advances in pharmacological management of rheumatoid arthritis, forefoot deformity, with its symptoms, remains a common problem, often requiring operative treatment. Typical deformities in these patients comprise hallux valgus and deformity of the lesser metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints and toes. With regard to the lesser rays the standard operative procedure, advocated for the disabling forefoot pain in these patients, remains metatarsal head resection. It should be considered that with increasing success of pharmacological treatment the degree of forefoot deformity in these patients is becoming less and that resection of the lesser MTP joints is becoming more and more superfluous. This supports a trend towards metatarsal head-preserving surgery. The optimal treatment of the hallux deformity remains unclear. Fusion of the first MTP joint is, generally, recommended. This article will discuss the current surgical options in rheumatoid forefoot pathology.

Objectives: The purpose of this paper was to retrospectively evaluate the short-term to mid-term results of combined first ray proximal dorsiflexion osteotomy and soft tissue surgery in treatment of pes cavovarus with a fixed plantar flexed first ray and a passively correctable tarsus due to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease., Patients and Methods: Between January 1995 and July 2005, thirty-three patients with pes cavovarus deformity due to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease were included. All patients had in common that prior to surgery the hindfoot was passively still adequate correctable at the talonavicular joint. The Coleman block test was performed to establish with certainty that hindfoot varus was a secondary deformity. Fourteen patients were male (21 feet) and nineteen were female (31 feet). Mean age at surgery was 28.1 years (range 13-59 years). Mean follow-up time was 56.9 months (range 13-153 months). Evaluation consisted of physical examination of all patients with assessment of early and late complications. The validated Foot Function Index (FFI) was used to measure pain and impairment. Patients' satisfaction was assessed by a Quality of Care Through the Patients' Eyes (QUOTE) questionnaire., Intervention: Surgical correction of cavovarus foot deformity consisted of dorsiflexion osteotomy at the base of the first metatarsal combined with tendon transfers. Secondary calcaneal osteotomy was performed in case of persistent varus of the calcaneus., Results: No major complications were seen. Recurrence of cavovarus deformity in two feet resulted in triple arthrodesis 37 and 64 months postoperatively. The FFI 5-point score for pain improved from a mean 29.3% to a mean 14.8% (p=0.005). The score for disability improved from a mean 37.8% to a mean 23.5% (p<0.001). Patients' satisfaction was assessed by the QUOTE questionnaire. Seventy percent of the patients could walk barefoot after the operation and 77% of the patients had less pain after surgery. Pressure callosities diminished in 81%. Foot function was considered better after surgery by 84%. Ninety percent was satisfied with the correction of the deformity., Conclusions: First ray dorsiflexion osteotomy combined with tendon transfers is a good and consistent solution to realign the foot and provides short-term to mid-term satisfactory results in 90% of patients with a rigid forefoot cavus deformity due to plantar flexion of the first ray and with a still passively reducible tarsus., (Copyright (c) 2009 European Foot and Ankle Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: To follow the weight bearing foot posture in subjects, a measurement tool using digital photography was developed, Foot Build Registration System (FBRS) (Fig. 1) [M. Van der Cruijsen, Voetvorm registratie systeem, Boxmeer (1999).]. This study's objective was to investigate the reproducibility of FBRS measurements in healthy feet and feet of patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT)., Methods: Reproducibility and reliability studies were performed in several foot views in healthy and CMT patients., Results: These studies showed that the variability of the 95% prediction limit depended upon the foot view being studied and whether markers had been drawn. Some individuals had a higher intra-individual variability than others. Limiting data collection to those individuals with a SD<3.5 degrees for a series of five or more photographs per view improved the 95% prediction limits. These varied between 2.8 degrees and 7.7 degrees., Conclusions: If the differences found between registration are greater than the abovementioned, values can be attributed to time or operative management for healthy and CMT patients and not to measurement error.