Editorials

Abstract

As students of medicine, we each have an unending and insatiable appetite for new knowledge. As orthopedic surgeons, our thirst and desire is to learn or discover new techniques in surgical management. This journal has now been in existence for 3 years, and thanks to the contributions of multiple authors representing wide backgrounds, it has been successful in providing a variety of innovative procedures for the foot and ankle specialist and the general orthopedist. In this issue, we provide insight to both Achilles tendon disorders and syndesmotic ankle injuries. We are so fortunate for the guidance of our guest authors in compiling this information for our benefit. I would like to reiterate our belief that this is your journal. Please inform us of topics that you would like highlighted, and feel free to contribute surgical techniques that you believe would be of interest to your colleagues and beneficial to their patients. Robert B. Anderson, MD Editor Charlotte, NC Guest Editorial It is certainly an honor to serve as a guest editor for Techniques in Foot and Ankle Surgery. This journal continues to succeed in providing the most current surgical techniques to challenging problems we all face in our practice. I hope to continue in that tradition by presenting a collection of international experts and theircurrent thinking and treatment of the often times confusing syndesmotic injury. Because our society has become more active and embracing of sports, there has been a significant amount of research and attention in the literature to sports injuries. There has also been a higher demand for optimal outcomes given the patient's desire to return to aggressive sports activities. Despite this, the syndesmotic injury still allows for many variations in presentation, diagnosis, and treatment. Unfortunately, this can also lead to many variations in the outcome of this injury. Presented in my case study are 2 common presentations of syndesmotic injuries: those with a fibular fracture and those without a fibular fracture. Four authors provide us with 4 different approaches to surgical treatment of syndesmotic injury. Just as we each base our treatment approaches to foot and ankle problems on the literature, personal experiences, and what works best in our hands, these authors give us their insights into treating these challenging syndesmotic injuries, each with a somewhat different solution that works well in their hands. I learned from each of these articles certain techniques that I may need to incorporate into my treatment protocol for the syndesmotic injury given the varied presentation of this injury. I think you also will gain insight from these experts that will help you with your standard protocol for the treatment of syndesmotic injuries. I feel certain these authors will also provide you with new and innovative options that are available to you for treating the patient with a syndesmotic injury and therefore hopefully allow you to gain the optimal result that both you and your patient desire. Brian Donley, MD Vice Chairman Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Cleveland Clinic Health Systems Director, Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Fellowship Cleveland, OH