FOREFOOT SURGERY. Edited by B. Valtin and under the care of Groupe dʼÉtude du Pied (GEP). Paris, Expansion Scientifique Française, 1997. $110.00, 165 pp.

Abstract

This concise text includes contributions from fourteen authors, all of whom are members of the French Orthopaedic Association and have a special interest in the foot and ankle. There are chapters on anatomy, biomechanics, hallux valgus (operative treatment only), metatarsalgia, hallux rigidus, failed treatment of bunions, the lesser toes, Morton disease, Freiberg disease, the rheumatoid forefoot, tarsal tunnel syndrome (because of its symptomatology extending to the forefoot), medicolegal considerations, and orthoses. With few exceptions, such as the use of PID (as opposed to DIP) for the distal interphalangeal joint, the style of writing and the translation are so close to the commonly used English language of orthopaedic literature that the level of comprehension is essentially equivalent. The illustrations are excellent. One of the main thrusts of the book—and perhaps also the most noteworthy feature for the American reader—is the emphasis on the Scarf procedure and the Weil osteotomy, which are rarely used in the United States. An unpublished survey of thirty-two prominent orthopaedic …