Clinical Procedures and Protocols Flashcards
7 cards from real ABFAS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Clinical Procedures and Protocols flashcards as text
Which incision approach is preferred for open repair of an acute Achilles tendon rupture to minimize wound complications?
Answer: Posteromedial longitudinal
A posteromedial longitudinal incision avoids the sural nerve and lateral watershed skin zone, reducing risk of wound breakdown and infection.
When treating plantar fasciitis surgically, how much of the plantar fascia is recommended for release to avoid iatrogenic flatfoot?
Answer: No more than 50% of the medial band
Releasing more than 50% of the plantar fascia risks destabilizing the arch and creating iatrogenic flatfoot deformity.
A surgeon performs a Weil osteotomy for metatarsalgia. In which direction is the metatarsal head translated?
Answer: Proximally and dorsally
The Weil osteotomy shifts the metatarsal head proximally and dorsally, reducing plantar pressure under the affected metatarsal.
Which electrosurgical modality cuts tissue with minimal lateral thermal spread, making it preferred for delicate dissection near neurovascular structures?
Answer: Bipolar electrosurgery
Bipolar electrosurgery passes current between two closely spaced electrode tips, limiting thermal spread to adjacent tissues.
In a Lapidus arthrodesis, which two joints are fused?
Answer: First TMT and first cuneiform-navicular joint
The Lapidus procedure fuses the first tarsometatarsal joint and, classically, also the first cuneiform-navicular joint to correct hypermobility-driven hallux valgus.
A patient develops hematoma under a split-thickness skin graft used for a foot wound. What is the immediate management?
Answer: Aspirate or make small incisions to evacuate the hematoma
Hematoma beneath a skin graft prevents revascularization; prompt evacuation via aspiration or small incisions salvages graft adherence.
Which radiographic view is most useful for evaluating the articular surface congruence following calcaneal fracture ORIF?
Answer: Broden view
The Broden view provides a tangential projection of the posterior facet of the subtalar joint, ideal for assessing articular reduction intraoperatively.