Is intraoperative pedography helpful in clinical use--preliminary results of 100 cases from a consecutive, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical study.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical use, and to analyze the potential clinical benefit of intraoperative pedography (IP) in a sufficient number of cases in comparison with cases treated without IP.


METHODS
Patients (age 18 years and older) which sustained an arthrodesis and/or correction of the foot and ankle were included.


RESULTS
One hundred cases were included (ankle correction arthrodesis, n=12; subtalar joint correction arthrodesis, n=14; arthrodesis without correction midfoot, n=15; correction arthrodesis midfoot, n=26; correction forefoot, n=33). Fifty-two patients were randomized for the use of IP. In 24 of the 52 patients (46%), the correction was modified after IP during the same operation.


CONCLUSIONS
In 46% of the cases a modification of the surgical correction was made after IP in the same surgical procedure. Whether IP improve the plantar force distribution of the foot and the mid- or long-term clinical outcome has to be critically analyzed when longer follow-up is completed.
Richter
Martinus
M
Department for Trauma, Orthopaedic and Foot Surgery, Coburg Clinical Center, Coburg, Germany. info@foot-trauma.org
Zech
Stefan
S
D000328:Adult; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001174:Arthrodesis / Q000379:methods*; D003949:Diagnostic Techniques, Surgical / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005545:Forefoot, Human / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology