Fibula

• Andrew, a college baseball player, experienced ankle instability after twisting his ankle on wet grass during practice.
• He shares his experience with ankle instability and how surgery performed by a foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon allowed him to play sports again.
• Chronic ankle instability is a condition in which the ankle easily “gives out” or twists during daily activities.
• According to Dr. Ryan, prior to considering surgery for ankle instability, a foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon may recommend nonsurgical treatments to improve symptoms.

• View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231213529898/en/
  University Hospital Birmingham is improving patient outcomes and reducing surgery times with the integration of tailored, 3D printed surgical guides.
• Using 3D printing, the surgical team can now produce highly accurate devices using patient scans, with a resolution of within 150 microns, helping to support surgical outcomes.
• “In addition to saving up to three hours of surgery time, 3D printing also enables much better surgical planning,” says Stefan Edmondson, Consultant Clinical Scientist (Reconstructive Science) at the hospital.
• A pioneer in using additive manufacturing for medical applications, University Hospital Birmingham has long-standing experience with various Stratasys 3D printers and technologies.

• Stryker (NYSE: SYK), one of the world’s leading medical technology companies, announced that its Pangea Systems including Femur, Fibula, Tibia, Humerus and Utility have received 510k clearance from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
• “FDA clearance is a critical milestone for our Pangea Systems,” said Eric Tamweber, Vice President and General Manager, Stryker’s Trauma business unit.
• “With these new systems, we are now offering surgeons a comprehensive portfolio that supports a wide range of their trauma needs.”
  Designed by the collaborative efforts of world-renowned orthopaedic surgeons, the Pangea plates offer an evidence-based design for implant fit.
• The Pangea Systems will be featured at the Annual Orthopaedic Trauma Association meeting (booth #505) in Seattle on Oct. 18-21.

• The NBA playoffs provide a stage for some of the biggest and tallest athletes in the world.
• With an average height of 6 feet, 7 inches and an average weight of 225 pounds, players have a lot of skin, bone and muscle to support.

The importance of a strong foundation

• When players land, the impact on the ground can be as high as four to six times their body weight.
• The average player also changes direction every two to three seconds, requiring stopping, turning and accelerating.
• Together, the jumps, twists, dekes and sprints put immense pressure on players’ foot, ankle and knee joints.
• Like a tall building, basketball players need a solid foundation to support their massive bodies and withstand the power that is generated by all of this movement.

What goes up must come down

• Ankle injuries are the most common: A player has a 25.8% chance of incurring one over the course of a season.
• Stress fractures, while less common, can be particularly debilitating, lingering for weeks or months.
• The most common bones in the feet and lower leg to experience stress fractures are the navicular, talus, tibia and fibula.

Getting off on the right foot

• Understanding normal physical dimensions helps physical therapists and trainers to understand the risk of injury based on vulnerabilities in a player’s physical makeup.
• The foot – a complex network of bones, joints and tissue – is ultimately only as strong as its weakest link.
• And the health of a team’s feet can end up being the one thing standing between them and a championship.