Foot and Ankle core knowleodge in orthopedic

The maturation of foot and ankle into a full-fledged subspecialty of orthopaedic surgery was inevitable.This process, however, has been accelerated by certain individuals who, ahead of their time, displayed a greater appreciation of the unique attributes possessed by the foot. As any comparative anatomist will attest, the foot is what distinguishes us most as human beings. It
represents the most evolved structure of our human anatomy, and carries a tremendous responsibility relative to its size.These
visionary surgeons were the first to incorporate these principles into clinical practice, laying the foundation for what is now the
field of orthopaedic foot and ankle surgery. Nowadays, surgeons who have been inspired by the path of these leaders are fortunately commonplace, resulting in an exponential understanding of foot pathology which has revolutionized the treatment of foot
problems. For example, our latest ankle arthroplasty designs are now generating cautious optimism of lasting success, improved
surgical techniques have recently demonstrated more favorable and lower risk outcomes in calcaneal fracture management, and
arthroscopy of the foot and ankle has now become an effective and routine tool in clinical practice.
Much of the medical research that has brought about these changes was based on retrospective case series and surgeon opinion, now referred to as level IV and V evidence.Although this has been instrumental in helping clinical science flourish, it is no
longer sufficient to meet the demands of modern day medicine. Emphasis is now, appropriately, being placed on using evidencebased medicine to drive decisions. Level I and II research (prospective, randomized trials) is emerging as the standard by which
to judge all other existing information, because it is less subject to bias.
With these thoughts in mind, we are pleased to compile for you this volume of Current Knowledge in Orthopaedic Surgery. Our
goal has been to arrange an unbiased, balanced, evidence-based text broaching the most salient topics affecting foot and ankle.
With the help of some of the most talented foot and ankle surgeons across the United States, we have been given an opportunity to further the visions of our founding fathers in the field of foot and ankle—for your use.We owe a great debt of gratitude
to the many individuals who have devoted substantial time and effort towards this end, without whom this product could never
have been completed.We hope you gain as much satisfaction in reading it as we have in putting it together.
Neither of us made this journey alone.We have each been blessed with wonderful colleagues,patients,and hospital staff,all of whom
have helped create perspective for editing this text. Most importantly, though, we want to recognize our families, whose endless love
and support continue to provide the inspiration, time, and motivation necessary to complete tasks like this one.This text is hence
dedicated to our parents for getting us started, to our wives for keeping us going, and to our children for making it all worthwhile.