This week in Foot & Ankle

Aug 24–30, 2026 · 10 new studies, 6 reviews · Foot & Ankle archive · All weeks

The new Foot & Ankle research The Reduction sent the week of Aug 24–30, 2026, with the week’s most recent reviews, each with a one-line summary.

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New research

  1. Prosthetic Joint Infection After Total Ankle Arthroplasty: A Propensity-Matched Analysis of Risk Factors and Outcomes.

    Foot & Ankle International · Aug 26 2026 · PubMed

    In 1008 total ankle arthroplasties, prosthetic joint infection occurred in 2.7% of cases, with concomitant calcaneal displacement osteotomy raising infection risk nearly 10-fold, though most cases achieved limb salvage with contemporary treatment.

  2. Development and Internal Validation of a Predictive Model for Clinically Meaningful AOS Improvement After Primary Total Ankle Arthroplasty.

    Foot & Ankle International · Aug 25 2026 · PubMed

    In 631 total ankle replacements, a predictive model using baseline AOS score and instability etiology (AUC 0.76) helps identify patients likely to achieve clinically meaningful improvement, aiding preoperative counseling.

  3. Effects of fatigue are more pronounced on the uninjured side during single-limb jumps 2 years after an acute Achilles tendon rupture.

    Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy · Aug 21 2026 · PubMed

    Two years after unilateral Achilles tendon rupture, fatigue caused greater ankle power changes on the uninvolved side, suggesting rehabilitation should emphasize progressive loading of the involved limb to reduce compensatory overuse risk.

  4. The Role of Diabetes Diagnosis and Treatment Status Beyond HbA1c Alone in Predicting Early Complications After Surgical Fixation of Ankle Fractures.

    Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons · Aug 20 2026 · PubMed

    In ankle fracture ORIF, patients with a formal diabetes diagnosis and poor glycemic control had more revisions and infections than those with high HbA1c but no established diagnosis, suggesting diabetes status—not HbA1c alone—better predicts risk.

  5. Radiographic Anomalies of the Tarsal Navicular.

    Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics · Aug 18 2026 · PubMed

    In over 2,000 pediatric foot radiographs, tarsal navicular abnormalities were found in 3% of feet and were usually incidental, helping clinicians avoid misattributing these findings to a child's foot pain.

  6. High frequency of secondary surgery after operatively treated talar fractures: A nationwide register study from 2000 to 2022.

    Foot and Ankle Surgery · Aug 18 2026 · PubMed

    A Finnish nationwide registry found nearly a quarter of surgically treated talar fractures required secondary surgery, underscoring their substantial long-term surgical burden.

  7. Oral Contraceptive Use Has Protective Effect Against Ankle Sprains in Women.

    Sports Health · Aug 11 2026 · PubMed

    In a large national database study, oral contraceptive use was associated with significantly reduced odds of ankle sprain in women, with nonestrogen formulations showing the strongest protective effect.

  8. Malnutrition is associated with poor outcomes following total ankle arthroplasty.

    Foot and Ankle Surgery · Aug 10 2026 · PubMed

    Preoperative malnutrition markers (low transferrin, albumin, or leukocytes) were linked to higher short-term complications and worse 5-year outcomes after total ankle arthroplasty, highlighting a modifiable risk factor.

  9. Effects of medializing calcaneal osteotomy and lateral column lengthening osteotomy variations on foot alignment: A three dimensional anatomical model study.

    Foot and Ankle Surgery · Jul 29 2026 · PubMed

    3D modeling of six feet shows lateral column lengthening mainly corrects forefoot abduction while medializing calcaneal osteotomy corrects hindfoot valgus, with roughly linear, dose-dependent effects useful for planning rigid flatfoot corrections.

  10. Sex differences in osteochondral lesions of the talus: Lesion size reflects patients dimensions, whereas morphology differs between sexes.

    Foot and Ankle Surgery · Jul 26 2026 · PubMed

    In 250 patients with talar osteochondral lesions, apparent sex differences in lesion size were explained by patient height rather than sex itself, though females had higher odds of crater-type lesion morphology.

Recent reviews

  1. Management of the failing ankle arthroplasty : an algorithm to assist decision-making.

    The Bone & Joint Journal · Mar 01 2026 · PubMed

    Proposes a structured, multidisciplinary algorithm for evaluating and managing failing total ankle arthroplasty, emphasizing infection screening, imaging, and alignment/bone stock assessment.

  2. Current Status of Tendoscopy Around the Ankle: Is Tendoscopy Still a Reality or a Thing from the Past?

    Foot & Ankle Clinics · Dec 2025 · PubMed

    Review of ankle tendoscopy indicates it is a safe, effective alternative to open surgery with comparable outcomes and benefits like better wound healing and faster return to activity.

  3. Standardizing 3 Dimensional Measurements in Foot and Ankle Imaging: A Contemporary Review and Methodological Proposal.

    Foot & Ankle Clinics · Mar 2025 · PubMed

    This review surveys current 3D weight-bearing CT/fluoroscopy measurement studies in foot and ankle imaging and proposes standardized methodological guidelines from an international expert task force.

  4. Postoperative Foot Drop After Spinal Surgery: Etiology, Presentation, and Management Strategies.

    JBJS Reviews · Mar 01 2025 · PubMed

    This review outlines the causes, risk factors, and management options for postoperative foot drop after spine surgery, emphasizing prevention through surgical technique and variable outcomes with treatment.

  5. Proximal interphalangeal joint dislocations and fracture-dislocations.

    Journal of Hand Surgery (European) · Sep 2023 · PubMed

    This review covers presentation, classification, treatment options, and complications of PIP joint dislocations and the more challenging fracture-dislocations.

  6. Chronic Syndesmotic Injuries: Arthrodesis versus Reconstruction.

    Foot & Ankle Clinics · Dec 2020 · PubMed

    Reviews management options for chronic syndesmotic injuries, ranging from arthroscopic debridement and ligamentoplasty to tibiofibular fusion depending on instability severity and bone quality.

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