Injury to the digits and nails of the foot may be the most common type of trauma many podiatrists will treat in private practice. During the initial approach with the patient, key information may be attained to aid in understanding the extent of the injury and the forces involved. The physical exam, including a general examination and focused inspection of the involved area, provide clues to proper treatment and prognosis. Treatment protocols and injury prognosis are greatly determined by the forces involved and the mechanism of the injury. Mistakes in treatment are avoided when inspection accounts for damaged bone, ligaments, tendons, and neurovascular structures. The proper management of digital injury and nail trauma requires a broad exposure to various medical and surgical principles. Knowledge of these principles is used to determine if further studies, medications, surgical treatment or hospitalization are required to provide the best prognosis. This lecture will provide a basic overview of digital and nail trauma with many examples of various injuries. Please use this lecture as a base for developing your knowledge and understand that each case is unique and requires good clinical judgment and experience.

Applying an external fixator can be difficult for the inexperienced surgeon, and in this lecture by Dr. DiDomenico attempts to simplify the process. He begins by discussing the basic principles, advantages, and disadvantages of external fixation. The frame assembly, placement of wires, types of wires, and frame mechanics are explained in detail. Dr. DiDomenico ends with case presentations utilizing the Hoffmann II fixator.

In this presentation, Dr. Schuberth discusses the state of the art of the Lisfranc fracture dislocation. All of the controversies surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of this difficult injury are explored in detail and a logical treatment protocol is provided.