High Risk Quiz Flashcards
What is a neuropathic ulcer?
- occurs in pressure areas in an insensate foot
- common where there are structural/biomechanical abnormalities
- common in those with diabetes
What are the characteristics of a neuropathic ulcer?
- even wound margins
- periwound HK
- superficial or deep (can have sinus formation)
- painless (mainly due to lack of sensation)
- pt usually has palpable pulses
How do you treat a neuropathic ulcer?
- offloading is most important
- need to look at biomechanics and correction of structural deformities
- education on neuropathy/diabetes control
- dressings
What is an ischaemic/arterial ulcer?
- a wound that forms due to lack of blood supply to the area
- in combination with arterial insufficiency
- common on the toes, met head, malleoli, and med/lat borders of the foot
What are the characteristics of an ischaemic ulcer?
- demarcated edges
- presence of necrotic tissue
- pale base
- little to no HK
- painful
- absent pedal pulses
How do you treat an ischaemic ulcer?
- refer to vascular surgeon
- if wound is dry then paint with betadine
- if wound is wet then consider wet gangrene
What is a venous ulcer?
- venous ulcers occur when there is chronic venous insufficiency/valve dysfunction that leads to oedema
- the skin becomes thin and weak, and prone to ulceration
- common in the medial/lateral malleolar regions and posterior calf
What are the characteristics of a venous ulcer?
- irregular margins
- nil periwound HK
- nil/mild pain
- dry/thin skin
- hyper pigmentation (red/brown staining)
- pulses are present but can be hard to palpate due to oedema
How do you treat a venous ulcer?
- reduce the oedema e.g. with compression therapy
- address the underlying medical concern (e.g. venous insufficiency)
- encourage activity and ambulation to work muscle pump and optimise venous/lymph return
- dressings
What is a pressure ulcer?
- external pressure causes local ischaemia, cellular death and tissue damage
- elderly and bed ridden are most affected
- can be hospital acquired
- common on posterior heel or bony prominences e.g. trochanter, sacrum, calcaneus, 1st/5th MPJs, malleoli
What are the characteristics of a pressure ulcer?
- skin may be intact on initial presentation, followed by breakdown
- can be superficial or deep extending to subcutaneous tissue, tendon or bone
How do you treat a pressure ulcer?
- prevention! early ID, mobilising patients, foam overlays and air mattresses, resting AFOs, heel lifts/herbst cradle, sheepskin heel protectors, bed cradles
What types of dressings are available and on what type of wound would you use them? (groups)
- semi-permeable films ( superficial/low exudating wounds)
- hydrogels (dry/low exudating wounds)
- hydrocolloids (uninfected low/moderate exudating wounds)
- manuka honey (low/moderately exudating wounds)
- alginates (moderate/high exudating wounds)
- foams (low/high exudating wounds)
- antimicrobials (low/high exudating wounds)
- hydrofiber (high exudating wounds)
- negative pressure wound therapy (non-bleeding non-infected wounds)
Which part of the anatomy is affected by digital deformities?
IPJ, MPJ, tendons, joint capsules and ligamentous structures.
What are the possible aetiologies of digital deformities?
- ill-fitting footwear
- biomechanics of foot
- congenital e.g. long ray
- trauma
- attrition due to synovitis of plantar plate, capsule &/or collateral ligament
- neuromuscular e.g. CMT, CP, MS
- diabetes
- inflammatory disease e.g. RA or Psoriatic arthopathy
All of these factors can lead to an imbalance between the extensor and flexor muscles of the toes, leading to lesser toe deformities.
How does a long metatarsal cause a lesser toe deformity?
It is more prone to injury such as stubbing as it is longer than other toes. In footwear it may buckle.
In which plane is a digital deformity easiest to correct?
Sagittal plane, followed by frontal plane and transverse plane.
What are the possible digital deformities?
- hammer toe
- claw toe
- mallet toe
- digitus adductus
- digitus abductus
- varus toe
What test do you do to classify whether a hammer toe is rigid or flexible?
‘Push up Test’
Rigid - minimal relocation of the base of the phalanx to the met head
Flexible - complete realignment of the deformity
How do the extrinsic and intrinsic muscles work together to keep a toe in rectus alignment?
Extrinsics - extend MPJ and flex IPJ
Intrinsics - flex MPJ and extend IPJ
What are the categories of digital dysfunction?
flexor substitution
flexor stabilisation
extensor substitution
Describe flexor stabilisation in pes planus.
In late stance phase the flexors attempt to stabilise a pronated foot - they fire longer.
Pull of FDL shifts medially - adductovarus of toes 4/5 common.
Describe flexor substitution in pes cavus.
Occurs in a supinated foot in late stance phase.
The flexors try to substitute for a weak triceps surae and overpower the interrossei.
Usually see straight contracture of lesser toes.
Describe extensor substitution.
Evident during swing phase.
EDL gains mechanical advantage over the intrinsics - EDL is becoming main DF of foot for whatever reason.
All lesser toes become contracted and retracted at the MPJs.
What are the surgical goals of correcting digital deformities?
- re-establish a rectus alignment
- stability to resist reoccurrence
- shorten the toe if required
- alleviate pain!
What procedures could be used to correct a hammertoe?
Soft tissue:
May be used in elderly low activity patients or in flexible digital deformity
- V to Y plasty (lengthening of contracted tissue)
- Stab tenotomy (percutaneous flexor tenotomy)
- Extensor tenotomy (isolated)
- Flexor tenotomy (in combination with an osseous correction)
- capsulotomy (release of a tight capsule)
- Flexor tendon transfer (stabilise a digit and decrease dorsiflexed proximal phalanx)
Osseous:
- arthroplasty (remodelling of joint via excision of bone)
- Arthrodesis (fusion of a joint to provide stability)
What procedure could be done to alleviate problems caused by a cross over toe?
Digital amputation of cross over toe.
What procedure could be done to alleviate problems caused by a bone prominence?
Ostectomy - removal of a prominent bone (exostosis)
What is a percutaneous internal fixation and when is it used?
Refers to an exposed pin utilised to maintain stability.
- 3 weeks for arthroplasty, 6 weeks for arthrodesis
What is the aetiology of IGTNs?
- oral retinoids (causes nail to become brittle, slow growing and the skin becomes fragile)
- trauma
- fungal nail infections
- hereditary - HAV, foot type
- genetic factors
- geriatric
What is the aetiology of onychogryphosis?
- trauma
- pressure (e.g. footwear)
- fungal infection
- diabetes
- PVD
- nutritional
- psoriasis
What is the aetiology of onychauxis?
- diabetes
- psoriasis
- PVD
- hereditary
- acromegaly
- infection
- genetic/chronic disorder
What types of nail surgery can be performed for and IGTN?
- nail excision and avulsion
- chemical matrixectomy
- partial excisional matrixectomy
- total excisional matrixectomy
- subungal ostectomy
What are ‘red flags’ for nail surgery?
- diabetes
- paediatrics
- PVD/arterial insufficiency
- blood thinner use
- current infection
In which patients is a subungal exostosis common?
May cause an IGTN.
- 40+
- often involuted nails
- pain on distal dorsal aspect of nail
- may be associated with trauma
In which patients is a subungal osteochondroma common, and what does it cause?
May cause an IGTN.
- teenagers/young adults
- nail plate may appear normal
- suspect when rapid onset
- may be hx of trauma
How may a periungual verrucae be surgically treated?
- partial or total excisional matrixectomy of the nail and wart
What may cause plantar plate deterioration?
- cross over toe
- overlapping hammertoe
- capsulitis
- bursitis
- pre-dislocation syndrome
- metatarsalgia