The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA) in April announced a study sponsored by the Glenolden, PA-based nonprofit found the three leading procedures for treating heel deformities don’t correct the problem adequately.
Investigators at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles used 18 identical 3D prints made from computed tomography scans of a single CMT patient’s heel to create models, which they used to compare the three most common surgical correction methods.
The results found none of the techniques provided adequate correction of the deformity.
“This is one of the first times three-D prints have been used in orthopedic research, and we’re thankful for the support of CMTA to use this new technology to help improve patient care,” said Glenn B. Pfeffer, MD, lead study author and codirector of the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Center of Excellence at Cedars-Sinai.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons chose the study as one of six presented at its “Game Changers” session (techniques most likely to change practice in the next three years) at its annual meeting in March in San Diego.