OBJECTIVES:: The aim was to investigate their dynamic characteristics and create a relationship between these dynamic data and the prescription of foot.
STUDY DESIGN:: Experimental Assessment.
METHODS:: This article presents the modal analysis results of the full range of Össur Flex-Run™ running feet that are commercially available (1LO-9LO) using experimental modal analysis technique under a constant mass at 53 kg and boundary condition.
RESULTS:: It was shown that both the undamped natural frequency and stiffness increase linearly from the lowest to the highest stiffness category of foot which allows for a more informed prescription of foot when tuning to a matched natural frequency. The low damping characteristics determined experimentally that ranged between 1.5% and 2.0% indicates that the feet require less input energy to maintain the steady-state cyclic motion before take-off from the ground. An analysis of the mode shapes also showed a unique design feature of these feet that is hypothesised to enhance their performance.
CONCLUSION:: A better understanding of dynamic characteristics of the feet can help tune the feet to the user's requirements in promoting a better gait performance.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The dynamic data determined from this study are needed to better inform the amputees in predicting the natural frequency of the foot prescribed. The amputees can intuitively tune the cyclic body rhythm during walking or running to match with the natural frequency. This could eventually promote a better gait performance.
METHODS: High-frequency ultrasound (HFU) images of 30 wounds were acquired in a controlled environment on post-debridement days 7, 14, 21, and 28. Meaningful features portraying changes in structure and intensity of echoes during healing were extracted from the images, their relevance and discriminatory power being verified by analysis of variance. Relative analysis of tissue healing was conducted by developing a features-based healing function, optimised using the pattern-search method. Its performance was investigated through leave-one-out cross-validation technique and reconfirmed using principal component analysis.
RESULTS: The constructed healing function could depict tissue changes during healing with 87.8% accuracy. The first principal component derived from the extracted features demonstrated similar pattern to the constructed healing function, accounting for 86.3% of the data variance.
CONCLUSION: The developed wound analysis technique could be a viable tool in quantitative assessment of diabetic foot ulcers during healing.
METHOD: This is a retrospective observational study. Patients who were admitted to the Orthopaedic ward of Hospital Segamat (HS), Johor, Malaysia from January 2016 to December 2018 and required surgical intervention were included in the study. Data was collected from the computer system of HS and medical notes of patients.
RESULTS: 35.6% of the total orthopaedic emergency surgeries performed were for patients with diabetic foot infection, 25% of the surgical procedures performed were major amputations of lower limb and 40% of the patients with diabetic foot infection required more than one surgical operation.
DISCUSSION: The demographics of the patients is consistent with the demographics of Malaysia where majority of them are Malays followed by Chinese, Indians and others. Despite being only 10% of total admission to the department, this group of patients contributed to 35.6% of the total emergency surgeries performed. The amputation rate in the centre is comparable to the other local studies. The average length of stay in hospital was found to be shorter compared to overseas due to different rehabilitation protocols.
METHOD: This is a retrospective analysis of 4997 patient records treated in the Orthopaedic Oncology Unit of University Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia, between 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2020. Demographic data of 195 patients with foot tumours were analysed out of 4997 neoplasm patients.
RESULTS: There were 195 cases of foot tumours: 148 were benign, and 47 were malignant. 47 were bone tumours, 4 were metastases, and 144 were soft tissue tumours. Six patients succumbed to the disease, two cases of giant cell tumour (GCT) and one patient with synovial sarcoma had a recurrence. Treatment of foot tumours was wide resection in general. However, in metastasis cases, amputation was done. The majority of tumours were in the toes and dorsum of the foot. Soft tissue tumours of the foot occur in the elderly population in contrast to bone tumours, mainly in the second decade of life. The gender distribution was almost equal for foot tumours. Ganglion and Giant Cell Tumour of the bone are the commonest benign soft tissue and bone tumours. The most common malignant soft tissue and bone tumours are malignant melanoma and chondrosarcoma. The amputation rate is 5.64% the recurrence rate is 1.54%. Mortality rate is 3.08%. The MSTS score is 79%, and the TESS score is 76.23%.
CONCLUSION: Foot tumours are relatively rare, mostly originating from soft tissue and exhibiting a benign nature. Nonetheless, a noteworthy proportion-approximately a quarter of these tumours-demonstrate malignancy. The surgical interventions undertaken in managing these tumours and associated functional outcomes generally yield acceptable results.
METHODS: This was a prospective, randomised controlled trial. We recruited diabetic patients aged > 18 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists class II-III, who were scheduled for unilateral diabetic foot surgery below the knee. All patients were assessed for autonomic dysfunction using the Survey of Autonomic Symptoms score. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either PNB or SAB for the surgery. Hemodynamic data, including usage of vasopressors, were recorded at 5-min intervals for up to 1 h after the induction of anesthesia. Pain scores were recorded postoperatively, and follow-up was done via telephone 6 months later.
RESULTS: Compared to the PNB group, the SAB group had a larger number of patients with significant hypotension (14 vs. 1; p = 0.001) and more patients who required vasopressor boluses (6 vs. 0 patients). Compared to SAB group, the patients in the PNB group had a longer postoperative pain-free duration (9 vs. 4.54 h; p = 0.002) and lower pain scores 1 day after surgery (3.63 vs. 4.69; p = 0.01).
CONCLUSION: Peripheral nerve block should be considered, whenever possible, as the first option of anesthesia for lower limb surgery in diabetic patients as it provides hemodynamic stability and superior postoperative pain control compared to SAB.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial registry: ClinicalTrials.gov. ID NCT02727348.