Summit Orthopedics is pleased to announce that Dr. Anderson was selected to present research at the 2017 IFFAS conference in Portugal.
Dr. Anderson receives international recognition for research work
Summit Orthopedics congratulates foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Michael Anderson, presenter at September’s 6th Triennial International Federation of Foot and Ankle Societies (IFFAS) scientific conference in Lisbon, Portugal. The IFFAS is a global organization of collaborative international orthopedic foot and ankle societies. Every three years, an IFFAS planning committee of foot and ankle experts reviews and grades research submissions from its members. The authors of the best clinical and research papers are invited to present their work at the triennial conference.
Honored to present at IFFAS conference
Dr. Anderson is the only U.S. physician in his fellowship class to present at the 2017 symposium. “Having my work recognized at the IFFAS Lisbon conference capped a wonderful experience at the University of Rochester,” he says. “Rochester has a strong, well-funded research program. It was a terrific opportunity for me to learn under the mentorship of Dr. Judith Baumhauer. I submitted seven research projects for consideration. I was delighted when I was invited to present one of them at the conference.”
A comparison of two ankle surgery techniques
“The subject of my conference presentation was a comparison of ankle fusion surgical techniques,” Dr. Anderson explains. “When you do an ankle fusion, you prepare the ankle by removing any remaining cartilage in the joint, exposing the bones so they will grow together. You can perform this procedure with an open incision or with a minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery. The goal is to remove as much cartilage as possible. The less cartilage in the prepared joint, the better the fusion will be. Research shows that outcomes are similar with both surgery techniques. But we didn’t know why this was the case.”
Dr. Anderson’s study used cadaver ankles, dividing them into two categories. “One category was prepared for fusion through the scope,” says Dr. Anderson. “The remaining cadaver ankles were prepared for fusion with the larger open incision procedure. The study compared the residual cartilage left in the ankle after each surgical preparation.”
Study results refuted conventional expectations
“A criticism postured by surgeons who don’t support arthroscopic ankle fusions is that using the scope impairs visibility needed to remove all of the cartilage,” notes Dr. Anderson. “Our study refuted this criticism. We found that whether we used a scope or open incision, statistically we were able to remove the same amount of cartilage. In fact, we tended to get slightly more cartilage out through the scope. Our results confounded the expectations of many surgeons. Of course, part of the success of scope procedures is attributed to the surgeon’s technical skill. In short, our research demonstrated that cartilage is successfully removed via scope. This supports use of an arthroscopic fusion approach when the surgeon is technically proficient and the patient is an appropriate candidate.
“Being at the podium before my colleagues was an incredible experience,” Dr. Anderson says. “And Lisbon is such a beautiful city. My wife and I had the opportunity to explore medieval streets and sample Portugal’s famous port, and I had the honor of presenting my research to esteemed IFFAS colleagues from all over the world. It was a very rewarding experience, and I was honored.”
Summit Orthopedics supports healthy communities
Community health flourishes when specialized orthopedic care is conveniently available close to home. Summit Orthopedics is proud of our fellowship-trained subspecialty teams offering the full spectrum of orthopedic expertise in bone, tendon, ligament, muscle, and joint conditions—in addition to our wellness, prevention, and rehabilitation services. We have the expertise to proactively improve fitness, evaluate discomfort, and deliver personalized treatment to quickly and safely return you to the lifestyle you love.
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Summit has convenient locations across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin. We have state-of-the-art centers for comprehensive orthopedic care in Eagan, MN, Plymouth, MN, Vadnais Heights, MN, and Woodbury, MN, as well as additional community clinics throughout the metro and southern Minnesota.
