Search Results
You are looking at 1 - 3 of 3 items for
- Author or Editor: James C. Wang x
- Refine by access: All Content x
Letter to the Editor
A New Fixation Technique for the Lapidus Bunionectomy: Author’s Response
Presented here is a preliminary report of 102 patients who underwent first metatarsocuneiform joint arthrodeses performed with external fixation for the correction of hallux valgus. The advantages of using external fixation are the ability to initiate early weightbearing, predictable fusion, and removal of all of the hardware postoperatively. In the 102 patients reported here, the average time to initiation of unassisted full weightbearing was 13.1 days. The average time to fusion was 5.3 weeks, with removal of the external fixator at an average of 5.5 weeks postoperatively. There was no incidence of delayed union or nonunion. There was one case of pin-tract irritation, which resolved with appropriate pin care and a short course of oral antibiotics. External fixation is an effective alternative to traditional internal fixation techniques in metatarsocuneiform joint arthrodesis. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 95(4): 405–409, 2005)
External fixation was used to reduce or arrest progressive degeneration in 28 patients with Charcot’s foot dislocations. Adjunctive procedures included tendo Achilles lengthening and application of an external bone stimulator. Advantages of using external fixation are that surgeries are usually performed percutaneously and that most patients are weightbearing in 10 to 14 days. There was no incidence of pin tract infection or further foot collapse, with the longest follow-up period being 24 months. The authors propose that use of external fixation with bone stimulation may be an effective alternative method of treating the Charcot foot. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 92(8): 429-436, 2002)
