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Scientific Publication Citing Dragonfly

Presence of neovascularization in torn plantar plates of the lesser metatarsophalangeal joints

Natalie V. Singer (1), Noah E. Saunders (2), James R. Holmes (1), David M. Walton (1), Fred T. Finney (3), Karl J. Jepsen (1), Paul G. Talusan (1)
Foot & Ankle International, 42, Issue 7, February 2021: 944-951. DOI: 10.1177/1071100721990038

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Keywords

plantar plate; microvasculature; lesser toe deformity; metatarsophalangeal joint instability

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Abstract

Recent surgical techniques have focused on anatomic repair of lesser toe metatarsophalangeal (MTP) plantar plate tears, yet it remains unknown whether the plantar plate has the biological capacity to heal these repairs. Therefore, a better understanding of the plantar plate vasculature in response to injury may provide further insight into the potential for healing after anatomic plantar plate repair. Recently, a study demonstrated that the microvasculature of the normal plantar plate is densest at the proximal and distal attachments. The purpose of this study was to compare the intact plantar plate microvasculature network to the microvasculature network of plantar plates in the presence of toe deformity using similar perfusion and nano–computed tomographic (CT) imaging methods.

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How Our Software Was Used

Dragonfly was used to analyze Nano-CT images.

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Author Affiliation

(1) Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
(2) The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA.
(3) Peachtree Orthopedics, Atlanta, GA, USA.

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