Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Orthop Case Rep 2018 Sep-Oct;8(5):3-6

Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, Children's Hospital Altona, Bleickenallee 38, 22763 Hamburg, Germany.

Introduction: Tibialis anterior tendon (TAT) rupture and cuboid-navicular coalition (CNC) are rare, to the best of our knowledge, only 238 cases of TAT rupture and 34 cases of CNC are described in the past century.

Case Report: A 47-year-old man came with a sudden onset of foot pain including drop foot to our department. We diagnosed a TAT rupture, which was fixed through suture. Read More

Bull Emerg Trauma 2019 Jan;7(1):80-83

Medical University of Graz, Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma, Graz, Austria.

Tarsal coalition is an often unrecognised cause of foot and ankle pain and represents a congenital osseous, cartilaginous or fibrous connection between two or more tarsal bones. Fractures in combination with tarsal coalitions are rarely described in the literature. We report the case of a 43-year-old male patient with a talocalcaneal coalition who sustained an open comminuted calcaneal fracture and a closed transverse cuboid fracture. Read More

J Foot Ankle Surg 2018 Dec 21. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

Director of Residency Training, Division of Foot & Ankle Surgery, West Penn Hospital, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA. Electronic address:

Lateral hindfoot pain associated with stage 2 to 3 adult-acquired flatfoot is often attributed to subfibular impingement. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is generally performed to assess the extent of degeneration within the posterior tibial tendon, attenuation of medial soft tissue constraints, and degeneration of hindfoot and/or ankle articulations. The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence of lateral collateral ligament disease/injury associated with stages 2 and 3 adult-acquired flatfoot. Read More

J Int Med Res 2018 Nov 19:300060518810889. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Center for Joint Surgery, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, P. R. China.

Tarsal coalition refers to an abnormal fibrous, cartilaginous, or bony connection that develops between two or more tarsal bones. Talocalcaneal coalition and calcaneonavicular coalition account for more than 90% of all cases of tarsal coalition. Coalition exists early at birth, but bony connection usually develops during the patient's late growth period. Read More

J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol 2018 Oct;62 Suppl 1:164-165

Department of Radiology, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia.

Cureus 2018 Jul 8;10(7):e2944. Epub 2018 Jul 8.

Orthopaedics, Nemours Children's Hospital, Jacksonville , USA.

Introduction: Recommendations for the initial treatment (nonoperative measures to surgical excision) of symptomatic tarsal coalitions vary. Because nonoperative outcomes are poorly established, we retrospectively evaluated their success in preventing surgery and achieving pain relief for pediatric patients with symptomatic tarsal coalitions.

Materials And Methods:  A retrospective study of pediatric patients with symptomatic tarsal coalitions treated at a single institution was undertaken. Read More

Foot Ankle Clin 2018 Sep 28;23(3):435-449. Epub 2018 Jun 28.

Foot and Ankle Surgery, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Spitalstrasse 16, Kantonsspital Lucerne, Lucerne 6000, Switzerland.

Tarsal coalitions are the result of impaired mesenchymal separation of the tarsal bones. The most common types include calcaneonavicular or talocalcaneal coalitions. Subtalar stiffness results in pathologic kinematics with increased risk of ankle sprains, planovalgus foot deformity, and progressive joint degeneration. Read More

J Foot Ankle Surg 2018 May - Jun;57(3):501-504

Attending Physician, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.

Spastic peroneal flatfoot (SPFF) is a rare hindfoot pathology usually seen in the adolescent age group that is characterized by painful spasms in the peroneal muscles. We have clinically observed that patients with SPFF also have some behavioral and emotional difficulties and problems in their academic achievements. Because of these observations, we investigated the prevalence and patterns of psychiatric disorders and intellectual disability among young subjects with SPFF. Read More

Orthop Traumatol Surg Res 2019 Feb 27;105(1S):S123-S131. Epub 2018 Mar 27.

Paediatric orthopaedics department, Seattle Children's Hospital, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, Washington 98105, USA.

Tarsal coalition is due to failure of segmentation between two or more foot bones during embryological development at a site where the joint cleft fails to develop. Depending on the nature of the tissue connecting the bones, the abnormality is a syndesmosis, synchondrosis, or synostosis. Although the coalition exists at birth, synostosis usually develops only late during growth. Read More

Presse Med 2018 Apr 23;47(4 Pt 1):413-415. Epub 2018 Mar 23.

CHU d'Amiens, groupe hospitalier sud, service d'orthopédie pédiatrique, 80054 Amiens cedex 1, France.

Clin Genet 2018 Jul 14;94(1):159-164. Epub 2018 Apr 14.

Department of Medical Genetics, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.

The location and/or type of variants in FLNB result in a spectrum of osteochondrodysplasias ranging from mild forms, like spondylocarpotarsal synostosis syndrome and Larsen syndrome, to severe perinatal lethal forms, such as atelosteogenesis I and III and Boomerang dysplasia. Spondylocarpotarsal synostosis syndrome is characterized by disproportionate short stature, vertebral anomalies and fusion of carpal and tarsal bones. Biallelic loss-of-function variants in FLNB are known to cause spondylocarpotarsal synostosis syndrome and 9 families and 9 pathogenic variants have been reported so far. Read More

Zhongguo Gu Shang 2017 Nov;30(11):1048-1051

Department of Orthopaedics, Shenyang Military Region General Hospital, Shenyang 110016, Liaoning, China;

Objective: To analyze clinical outcomes of osseous-bridge resection for the treatment of adult symptomatic talocalcaneal coalitions without arthritis.

Methods: The clinical data of 12 patients (15 feet) with symptomatic talocalcaneal coalitions without arthtitis from January 2013 to June 2016 were respectively analyzed. All cases were secondary talocalcaneal coalition. Read More

Int Orthop 2018 06 8;42(6):1307-1312. Epub 2018 Jan 8.

Service de Chirurgie Pédiatrique, Hôpital Lapeyronie, 191 avenue du Doyen Gaston Giraud, 34295, Montpellier Cedex 5, France.

Purpose: A too-long anterior process of the calcaneus is a common cause of pain and hind-foot instability. Our goal was to evaluate the early results of arthroscopic resection in terms of static foot disorders in children and adolescents.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 11 ft (10 patients). Read More

Joints 2017 Dec 15;5(4):246-248. Epub 2017 Sep 15.

Orthopedic Clinic, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.

Tarsal coalitions have an incidence of 2% and are often underdiagnosed. These are considered to be one of the causes of chronic ankle and foot pain. Among all tarsal coalitions, the talonavicular type represents a rare and uncommon condition. Read More

J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 2017 Nov;107(6):556-560

Tarsal coalitions represent a cohort of conditions characterized by bony, cartilaginous, or fibrous union of two or more tarsal bones. These disorders are often poorly understood by medical professionals, often leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment. They may be asymptomatic or cause hindfoot pain, stiffness, decreased range of motion, and foot deformities. Read More

SAGE Open Med Case Rep 2017 4;5:2050313X17745210. Epub 2017 Dec 4.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chiba Aiyukai Memorial Hospital, Nagareyama, Japan.

In recent years, some authors have reported accessory anterolateral talar facet impingement with flatfoot including peroneal spastic flatfoot. Conversely, to our knowledge, no case report has been published about accessory anterolateral talar facet impingement with tibialis spastic varus foot. We report the first case in a 22-year-old man with intellectual disability, bilateral cleft hands and type 1 diabetes mellitus. Read More

EFORT Open Rev 2017 Nov 8;2(11):438-446. Epub 2017 Nov 8.

Orthopaedic and Traumatology Unit, Department of Public Health, "Federico II" Naples University, Naples, Italy.

Subtalar arthroereisis has been reported as a minimally-invasive, effective and low-risk procedure in the treatment of flatfoot mainly in children but also in adults.It has been described as a standalone or adjunctive procedure, and is indicated in the treatment of flexible flatfoot, tibialis posterior tendon dysfunction, tarsal coalition and accessory navicular syndrome.Different devices for subtalar arthroereisis are currently used throughout the world associated with soft-tissue and bone procedures, depending on the surgeon rather than on standardised or validated protocols. Read More

Am J Med Genet A 2018 01 21;176(1):219-224. Epub 2017 Nov 21.

Diagnostics Division, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad, India.

We report a family of Indian origin presenting with Tarsal-carpal coalition syndrome (TCC), which is a rare genetic disorder of skeletal abnormalities, inherited in autosomal dominant manner. In this family, three individuals (mother and two children) were found to be similarly affected with slight intrafamilial individual variability in the phenotype. Sanger sequencing revealed a novel heterozygous missense mutation in NOG gene (NM_005450. Read More

J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 2017 Nov 13. Epub 2017 Nov 13.

¶ Grant Medical Center Department Chair of Podiatry.

Background: Tarsal coalitions typically occur at the talocalcaneal or calcaneonavicular joints. Common findings are pain, limited range of motion, and a pes planus deformity.

Methods: The focus of this case report will include the presentation, imaging, treatment, and outcomes for a 21-year-old female diagnosed with a rare lateral cuneo-cuboid coalition with chronic pain. Read More

Mil Med 2017 05;182(5):e1814-e1815

Department of Radiology, Madigan Army Medical Center, 9040 Jackson Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98431.

Tarsometatarsal osseous coalition is extremely rare. Herein, we present a case of osseous coalition between the base of the third metatarsal and the lateral cuneiform. The patient is a 38-year-old male who presented with an acute episode of foot pain following strenuous activity. Read More

J Foot Ankle Surg 2017 Nov - Dec;56(6):1339-1342

Associate Professor, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Memorial Ankara Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.

The ball-and-socket ankle joint is a rare deformity characterized by the loss of concavity in the trochlear surface of the talus with rounding of the articular surfaces of the distal fibula and tibia. Frequently, tarsal coalitions, fibular hypoplasia, and shortening of the limb accompany this deformity. To date, no data have been reported on surgical treatment of lateral ankle joint instability and peroneal tendon dislocation concomitant with a ball-and-socket ankle joint. Read More

J Foot Ankle Surg 2017 Nov - Dec;56(6):1323-1327

Orthopaedic Surgeon, FussZentrum Hirslanden Zuerich, Klinik Hirslanden, Zurich, Switzerland.

Subfibular impingement has been described in patients with flatfoot. It possibly occurs with valgus deformity associated with talocalcaneal coalition. We observed symptomatic unilateral fibular impingement initially on the left foot of an 11-year-old female with an otherwise asymptomatic bilateral talocalcaneal coalition. Read More

Ann N Y Acad Sci 2017 12 9;1409(1):67-78. Epub 2017 Oct 9.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.

Postaxial limb hypoplasia (PALH) is a group of nonhereditary diseases with congenital lower limb deficiency affecting the fibular ray, including fibular hemimelia, proximal femoral focal deficiency, and tarsal coalition. The etiology and the developmental biology of the anomaly are still not fully understood. Here, we review the previous classification systems, present the clinical features, and discuss the developmental biology of PALH. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2017 Sep 7;2017. Epub 2017 Sep 7.

Department of Orthopaedics, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India.

Tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) is one of the frequently encountered entrapment neuropathies of the lower limb. Most often the aetiology is considered to be idiopathic. However, it has to be thoroughly investigated to rule out diverse extrinsic and intrinsic causes. Read More

Clin Orthop Surg 2017 Sep 4;9(3):363-373. Epub 2017 Aug 4.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.

Background: Flatfoot deformity is a lever arm disease that incurs kinetic inefficiency during gait. The purpose of this study was to measure the degree of kinetic inefficiency by comparing the gait analysis data of a flatfoot group with a normal control group.

Methods: The patient group consisted of 26 children (21 males and 5 females) with symptomatic flatfoot. Read More

J Foot Ankle Surg 2017 Sep - Oct;56(5):1091-1094

Associate Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Electronic address:

Talocalcaneal tarsal coalitions are a common source of foot pain, stiffness, and deformity. These coalitions are treated symptomatically with rest and periods of immobilization. When those measures fail, surgical resection is attempted. Read More

J Foot Ankle Surg 2017 Nov - Dec;56(6):1332-1334. Epub 2017 Aug 18.

Associate, LaPorta & Associates, Dunmore, PA.

It has been proposed that patients with talocalcaneal and talonavicular coalitions have decreased ankle joint range of motion. It has also been reported that rotational forces regularly absorbed by the talocalcaneal joint are transferred to the ankle joint in patients with coalitions, increasing the stress on the ankle joint after trauma. To the best of our knowledge, only 1 reported study has detailed the increased stress placed on the ankle joint secondary to a coalition. Read More

Foot Ankle Clin 2017 Sep 13;22(3):573-585. Epub 2017 Jun 13.

Orthopaedic Department, Clínica Dávila, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address:

In 1975, Evans published an article describing the surgical management of the "calcaneo-valgus deformity," pointing out that the deformity was due to relative shortening of the lateral column of the foot. Correction involved "equalizing" both columns by performing an osteotomy in the neck of the calcaneus 1.5 cm from the calcaneocuboid joint, where a trapezoidal wedge of tricortical bone was placed. Read More

J Pediatr Orthop 2017 Oct/Nov;37(7):e427-e431

*Department of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Sanatorio Allende, Córdoba, Argentina †ABC Medical Center, Mexico City, México ‡Saint Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine; and Saint Louis Shriners Hospital for Children, Saint Louis, MO.

Background: Calcaneonavicular coalitions are the most common form of tarsal coalitions. The prefered treatment for symptomatic coalitions is surgical resection; however, there are no published studies that directly compare different interposition techniques. The purpose of the present study was to retrospectively compare pain relief, functional outcomes, and complications of children and adolescents who had a resection of a symptomatic calcaneonavicular coalition with interposition of fat graft, bone wax, or extensor digitorum brevis (EDB). Read More

Skeletal Radiol 2017 12;46(12):1739-1740, 1791-2

Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust, Stanmore, UK.

J Foot Ankle Surg 2017 Jul - Aug;56(4):797-801

Attending Radiologist, Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA; Assistant Professor in Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

Posteromedial subtalar (PMST) coalitions are a recently described anatomic subtype of tarsal coalitions. We compared with clinical patient-based outcomes of patients with PMST and standard middle facet (MF) coalitions who had undergone surgical excision of their coalition. The included patients had undergone surgical excision of a subtalar tarsal coalition, preoperative computed tomography (CT), and patient-based outcomes measures after surgery (including the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society [AOFAS] scale and University of California, Los Angeles [UCLA], activity score). Read More

Clin Podiatr Med Surg 2017 Jul 22;34(3):327-338. Epub 2017 Apr 22.

St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Hartford, CT, USA.

Subtalar joint arthrodesis is a procedure used in posttraumatic arthritis, osteoarthritis, tarsal coalition management, posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, and inflammatory arthropathies, and can be used in deformity correction. The goals of the procedure are to eliminate pain, improve function, restore stability, and realign the hind foot. The procedure has high patient satisfaction with low complications while preserving motion in adjacent tarsal joints. Read More

J Foot Ankle Surg 2017 Nov - Dec;56(6):1257-1262. Epub 2017 May 27.

Orthopaedist, Institute of Orthopaedics "Carlos E. Ottolenghi", Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Rarely, osteochondral lesions of the talus occur without a history of trauma. Accurate interpretation of the mechanical load distributions onto the ankle leading to potential atraumatic cartilage damage must always be studied. The published data on the optimal treatment of talar osteochondral lesions in skeletally immature patients are scarce, especially when the lesions are associated with hindfoot malalignment. Read More

EFORT Open Rev 2016 May 13;1(5):152-159. Epub 2017 Mar 13.

3D Side, Belgium.

Computer-assisted orthopaedic surgery was born in the 1990s. Nowadays, computer-assisted orthopaedic surgery is used for transpedicular screw fixation and for total knee arthroplasty.Patient-specific instrumentation is one type of computer-assisted surgery based on volumetric images, such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Read More

Radiol Case Rep 2017 Mar 22;12(1):133-135. Epub 2016 Dec 22.

Department of Radiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse 13210, NY, USA.

Tarsal coalition is a condition described by partial union between tarsal bones. Its clinical significance is the potential cause for chronic pain in the ankle and foot. Diagnosis of this condition may be delayed until adolescence or early adulthood, and is often made incidentally on examination for other purposes. Read More

World J Orthop 2016 Dec 18;7(12):839-842. Epub 2016 Dec 18.

Andreas Leonidou, Marcos Katchburian, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, Tunbridge Wells TN2 4QJ, United Kingdom.

Proximal symphalangism (SYM1B) (OMIM 615298) is an autosomal dominant developmental disorder affecting joint fusion. It is characterized by variable fusions of the proximal interphalangeal joints of the hands, typically of the ring and little finger, with the thumb typically being spared. SYM1 is frequently associated with coalition of tarsal bones and conductive hearing loss. Read More

J Foot Ankle Surg 2017 Jan - Feb;56(1):19-21

Fellowship Director, Attending Physician, Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Center, Westerville, OH. Electronic address:

The naviculocuneiform articulation is composed of the navicular proximally and the 3 cuneiforms distally. It is not uncommon to perform surgical interventions at this joint for multiple pathologic foot etiologies. To date, no detailed anatomic measurement is available for each cuneiform articulation on the navicular. Read More

Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am 2017 Feb 20;25(1):63-77. Epub 2016 Oct 20.

Department of Radiology, University of Missouri, 3801 Kinsey Court, Columbia, MO 65203, USA. Electronic address:

Abnormalities of the medial ligaments and posterior tibial tendon can occur because of acute injury or chronic instability or malalignment. Medial ankle injuries may occur because of pronation or supination-external rotation injuries. Deltoid ligament injuries have a significant impact on lateral ankle instability but can be overlooked in patients with lateral ligament injuries. Read More

Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am 2017 Feb;25(1):195-209

Department of Radiology, New England Baptist Hospital, Tufts University School of Medicine, 125 Parker Hill Avenue, Boston, MA 02120, USA.

MR imaging has an important role in the evaluation of the postoperative foot and ankle. In this article, a variety of operative techniques and postoperative findings in the foot and ankle are described, including tendon and ligament reconstruction, as well as the treatment of tarsal coalition and Morton neuroma. The role of MR imaging in the assessment of complications of foot and ankle surgery is also detailed. Read More

Eur J Radiol 2016 Dec 17;85(12):2238-2256. Epub 2016 Oct 17.

Department of Radiology, Changi General Hospital, 2 Simei Street 3, 529889, Singapore. Electronic address:

Posterior ankle pain is a cause of chronic pain and disability, afflicting a wide range of individuals. While proper identification of the cause is essential for timely and adequate treatment, identifying the cause and excluding mimickers is often challenging for the physician due to the complex nature of the joint. In addition, pathology that can cause posterior ankle pain may occur on their own or in co-existence. Read More

J Foot Ankle Surg 2016 Nov - Dec;55(6):1312-1317. Epub 2016 Feb 20.

Surgeon, Department of Orthopedics, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.

Ankle impingement syndromes are common disorders that can be attributed to many factors. To the best of our knowledge, posteromedial ankle impingement syndromes caused by talocalcaneal coalition have never been previously reported. The present report describes 5 patients with posteromedial ankle pain and inversion limitation. Read More

J Foot Ankle Surg 2016 Nov - Dec;55(6):1264-1270. Epub 2015 May 16.

Professor, Department of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery, Amiens University Hospital and Jules Verne University of Picardy, Amiens, France. Electronic address:

Symptomatic tarsal coalitions that begin in early adolescence are usually treated by resection and interposition (fat, muscle, or bone wax) to prevent recurrence. The purpose of the present retrospective study was to describe our operative technique and report our clinical and radiologic outcomes with sterile silicone sheet interposition after resection of painful tarsal coalitions in 4 children (4 feet). The present series included 1 case of talocalcaneal synchondrosis and 3 of synostosis (2 talocalcaneal and 1 cuboid-navicular). Read More

Skeletal Radiol 2016 Nov 2;45(11):1507-14. Epub 2016 Sep 2.

New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.

Objective: To assess, utilizing MRI, tarsal tunnel disease in patients with talocalcaneal coalitions. To the best of our knowledge, this has only anecdotally been described before.

Materials And Methods: Sixty-seven ankle MRIs with talocalcaneal coalition were retrospectively reviewed for disease of tendons and nerves of the tarsal tunnel. Read More

Hum Genome Var 2016 4;3:16023. Epub 2016 Aug 4.

Department of Otolaryngology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine , Sapporo, Japan.

The human noggin (NOG) gene is responsible for a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations of NOG-related symphalangism spectrum disorder (NOG-SSD), which include proximal symphalangism, multiple synostoses, stapes ankylosis with broad thumbs (SABTT), tarsal-carpal coalition syndrome, and brachydactyly type B2. Some of these disorders exhibit phenotypes associated with congenital stapes ankylosis. In the present study, we describe a Japanese pedigree with dactylosymphysis and conductive hearing loss due to congenital stapes ankylosis. Read More

Orthopade 2016 Dec;45(12):1058-1065

Radiologie im Josephinum, Schönfeldstraße 16, 80539, München, Deutschland.

Introduction: There is still a controversial discussion on the treatment of talocalcaneal coalition with and without planovalgus deformity. From 2002-2014 80 cases of talocalcaneal coalition in children and adolescents under 18 years of age were surgically treated by J. Hamel. Read More

Bull Hosp Jt Dis (2013) 2016 Jun;74(2):165-7

Coalitions involving three joints of the midfoot are rare. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient having fibrocartilaginous coalition of the calcaneonavicular joint along with partial osseous fusion of the naviculocuneiform (Chopart's joint) and medial cuneiform-first metatarsal joints. These multi-coalition pathologies are challenging to address operatively as pain can persist even after recognizing and surgically addressing each coalition in a patient. Read More

J Pediatr Orthop 2018 Apr;38(4):239-243

Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA.

Purpose: It has been the observation of the senior author that there is a bony fullness or "double medial malleolus" over the middle facet as a consistent finding with most talocalcaneal coalitions (TCC). To document this observation, we reviewed records and radiographs in 3 patient groups.

Methods: Part 1: retrospective chart review was completed for 111 feet to determine the clinical presence of a palpable "double medial malleolus. Read More

Proc Inst Mech Eng H 2016 Jun 18;230(6):495-515. Epub 2016 Apr 18.

Politehnica University of Bucharest, Bucharest, RomaniaOrthopaedics, Clinical Hospital Colentina, Bucharest, RomaniaChelariu Clinic, Bacau, Romania

There has been a lot of hype surrounding the advantages to be gained from rapid prototyping processes in a number of fields, including medicine. Our literature review aims objectively to assess how effective patient-specific surgical guides manufactured using rapid prototyping are in a number of orthopaedic surgical applications. To this end, we carried out a systematic review to identify and analyse clinical and experimental literature studies in which rapid prototyping patient-specific surgical guides are used, focusing especially on those that entail quantifiable outcomes and, at the same time, providing details on the guides' design and type of manufacturing process. Read More

Pediatr Ann 2016 Apr;45(4):e139-43

Tarsal coalition (a congenital fibrous, cartilaginous, or bony connection between two bones) classically presents with recurrent ankle sprains or with insidious onset of a painful, stiff flatfoot. Flatfoot is a benign finding most of the time, but it is important to distinguish the rigid flatfoot from the flexible flatfoot. A patient with recurrent sprains of the ankle or a stiff flatfoot should be evaluated for a tarsal coalition. Read More

Pediatr Radiol 2016 Jul 22;46(8):1142-9. Epub 2016 Mar 22.

Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, USA.

Background: A variant form of subtalar coalition isolated to the posterior sustentaculum has been previously described, though its prevalence is not known and its relationship to the middle facet has not been characterized.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and morphological alterations of isolated posteromedial subtalar coalitions.

Materials And Methods: Computed tomography (CT) images of the foot or ankle performed from 2004 to 2012 were reviewed and 97 patients (mean age: 13. Read More