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How Have Patients Responded To The Suture And Button Stabilization Technique?
I am happy to report that my patients and I have been pleased with the results of the suture and button stabilization technique used for stabilizing plantar plate insufficiency associated with lesser metatarsophalangeal joint (MPJ) instability. (See the February 2011 Podiatry Today cover story at http://www.podiatrytoday.com/current-insights-treating-second-mpj-dysfun... and a previous blog I did on this subject at http://www.podiatrytoday.com/blogged/questions-and-answers-suture-and-bu... .)
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Questions And Answers On The Suture And Button Technique For Plantar Plate Stabilization
I recently presented the suture and button technique as a preliminary report of my personal experience with second metatarsophalangeal joint (MPJ) instability and predislocation syndrome (see http://bit.ly/e6mD4d ). This method has been developed for those patients who have failed conservative efforts to stabilize the digit and accommodate the forefoot. This procedure is unique and is not published in the literature to date.
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To Radiograph Or Not To Radiograph A Bunion Deformity: What The Intraoperative Findings Reveal
In the discussion of whether or not you really need to use X-rays in bunion surgery, there seem to be more posted comments in my camp (see see http://www.podiatrytoday.com/blogged/emphasizing-the-importance-of-radio... and http://www.podiatrytoday.com/blogged/can-you-select-a-bunion-procedure-b...). I have always considered the radiographic evaluation an important component of both the preparation for and execution of bunion surgery.
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Emphasizing The Importance Of Radiographs In Choosing A Bunion Procedure
I have enclosed the radiographs (see above) that are associated with the case I presented in last month’s blog (http://www.podiatrytoday.com/blogged/can-you-select-a-bunion-procedure-b...). How does this change your procedure selection and are there any further tests you would order?
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Can You Select A Bunion Procedure Based Solely On Clinical Evaluation?
I was talking with some colleagues of mine recently and we were reviewing bunion surgery, the most common of the elective procedures that we perform. During this conversation, one more experienced colleague said he really does not even need X-rays as he can tell from the clinical evaluation what procedure is going to work out best for the patient. At this point in his career, he feels that getting X-rays is now simply an issue of medicolegal documentation rather than a tool for measuring angles and procedure selection. Most of the others at the table seemed to agree with his philosophy.
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Failure To Biopsy: When Alleged ‘Wound Care Specialists’ Fall Short Of The Standard Of Care
I do not know about you but I continue to find myself wondering who are these so-called wound care specialists who undertake management of wounds but are nowhere to be found when bad wounds take a turn for the worse.
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Keys To Identifying Patients At Risk For Charcot Foot
It is well known that patients who present with the acute or chronic Charcot joint require a tremendous amount of time, energy and effort in both patient education and proactive management in an attempt to reduce the risk of limb loss.
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Enduring The Endless Paperwork Shuffle: Why Tort Reform Is Essential
Have you gone to a hospital for a case using local anesthesia lately? It has truly become bizarre. When I began private practice in 1997, you could walk into the hospital, fill out little more than a consent form and you could be in and out as fast as you would at any outpatient surgery center.
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Why We Need To Take A Closer Look At The Roles Of ‘Wound Care Specialists’
Currently, there are a number of people on the health care team touting themselves as wound care specialists. For those of you who may not know, the term “wound care specialist” does not imply a physician, a physician’s assistant or even a member of the nursing staff for that matter. Scores of people who might otherwise be considered “volunteer staff” or “nursing assistants” are now being sent for an abbreviated course in wound care products and, after taking this course, are subsequently referred to as “wound care specialists.”
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Vessel Loops: A Simple Alternative For Wound Closure
Among the many tips, quips and pearls that we have learned over the years, some techniques will stand the test of time better than others. Indeed, some techniques are more a matter of fad than function and will soon fall by the wayside. Valuable techniques, those that become a part of every day practice, serve patients very well and become a part of the standard of care.
