Scholars@Duke
Karl Martin Schweitzer

Karl Martin Schweitzer

Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Orthopaedic Surgery
karl.schweitzer@duke.edu
3480 Wake Forest Road, Suite 204, Raleigh, NC 27609
Dept of Orthopaedic Surgery, BOX_3000 Med Ctr, Durham, NC 27710

Selected Publications

Higher BMI Is Associated With Wound Breakdown Following Resection of Haglund Deformity.

Journal Article Foot Ankle Int · January 2025 BACKGROUND: Haglund deformity is characterized by an enlarged posterosuperior calcaneus, often with inflammation of the retrocalcaneal bursa and Achilles tendon. This study aims to determine if obesity is associated with an increased rate of complications ... Full text Link to item Cite

Complications Following Surgical Treatment of Haglund's Syndrome With and Without Flexor Hallucis Longus Tendon Transfer.

Journal Article J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev · December 1, 2024 BACKGROUND: In the surgical treatment of Haglund syndrome, combining a flexor hallucis longus (FHL) tendon transfer with Achilles tendon may improve plantarflexion strength and reduce strain on the repaired Achilles tendon. However, there is limited resear ... Full text Link to item Cite

Initial Safety of Total Talus Replacement Used to Treat Talar Avascular Necrosis.

Journal Article Foot Ankle Int · November 2024 BACKGROUND: Total talus replacement (TTR) implants are designed to replace the diseased talar anatomy, reduce pain, maintain ankle range of motion, and restore ankle function after conservative treatments have failed. Currently TTR implants are produced by ... Full text Link to item Cite

Readmission within 30-days of open reduction and internal fixation for ankle fractures: NSQIP analysis of 29,905 patients.

Journal Article J Orthop Surg Res · September 18, 2024 BACKGROUND: Historically, ankle fractures have been treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) procedures, which are considered safe and effective. Patient characteristics may contribute to postoperative difficulties thereby increasing risk o ... Full text Link to item Cite

Moberg and Moberg-Akin ('Mo-Akin') Osteotomies for Hallux Rigidus.

Journal Article Foot Ankle Clin · September 2024 Hallux rigidus represents the arthritis affecting the first metatarsophalangeal joint. It often leads to limited dorsiflexion, affecting gait and causing pain. Moberg osteotomy involves a dorsal closing wedge osteotomy on the proximal phalanx performed for ... Full text Link to item Cite

Outcomes of cobalt-chrome 3D-printed total talus replacement with and without combined total ankle replacement.

Journal Article Foot Ankle Surg · August 2, 2024 BACKGROUND: Collapse of the talus and peri-talar arthritis pose treatment challenges due to the anatomy and location of the talus as a keystone of the foot and ankle. Custom 3D-printed total talus replacement (TTR) and combined total ankle total talus repl ... Full text Link to item Cite

Additional Procedures at the Time of Total Ankle Replacement Do Not Increase Risk of Short-term Complications: A Matched Cohort Analysis.

Journal Article Foot Ankle Orthop · July 2024 BACKGROUND: This retrospective cohort study compared short-term complication rates following total ankle arthroplasty (TAA), alone or with concomitant procedures. Secondary independent risk factors were also examined as they related to postoperative outcom ... Full text Link to item Cite

Diagnosis and Management of Infected Total Ankle Replacements.

Journal Article Orthop Clin North Am · April 2024 As the number of primary total ankle replacements increases for treatment of end-stage ankle arthritis, failures are also expected to rise. Periprosthetic joint infection is among the causes of failures and has been reported to be as high as 5%. Diagnosis ... Full text Link to item Cite

Minimally invasive treatment of achilles tendon tears

Chapter · February 23, 2024 Surgical Achilles tendon repair is a frequent procedure done by orthopedic surgeons. The injury rate has increased through the years to 21.5/100,000 individuals per year as of 2011 (Lantto et al. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 25:e133-8, 2015). Minimally invasive ... Full text Cite

Achilles tendon sleeve avulsion injuries: Diagnosis and management

Chapter · February 23, 2024 An Achilles tendon sleeve avulsion injury is a rare and underrecognized variant of an Achilles tendon rupture. Given the disruption of the tendon-bone interface and the degenerative nature of this pathology, surgical reconstruction is typically indicated i ... Full text Cite

Reconstruction of chronic achilles tendon ruptures

Chapter · February 23, 2024 Patients dealing with chronic Achilles tendon ruptures have a weakness with plantarflexion and push-off, along with gait dysfunction. As such, patients diagnosed with a chronic Achilles tear are typically offered surgical reconstruction in order to most op ... Full text Cite

A Novel Technique for Lateral Ankle Ligament Reconstruction in a Total Ankle Total Talus Replacement Case

Journal Article Techniques in Foot and Ankle Surgery · September 1, 2023 In recent years, the tibial component and polyethylene bearing of a total ankle replacement have been used in conjunction with a custom total talus replacement in cases of severe talar loss with concomitant tibiotalar arthritis, referred to as total ankle ... Full text Cite

Minimally Invasive Repair of Subacute Achilles Tendon Ruptures: A Report of 2 Cases.

Journal Article Foot Ankle Spec · April 2023 Level IV: Case report. ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Novel Technique for Lateral Ankle Ligament Reconstruction with Total Ankle Total Talus Replacement: A Case Report.

Journal Article JBJS Case Connect · April 1, 2023 CASE: A 65-year-old man with severe left talar avascular necrosis, arthritis, and chronic lateral ankle instability underwent total ankle total talus replacement (TATTR) with lateral ligament reconstruction. Tibial component placement was performed using p ... Full text Link to item Cite

Surgical Repair of Posttraumatic Hallux Valgus Deformity in a Collegiate Football Player: A Case Report.

Journal Article JBJS Case Connect · April 1, 2022 CASE: We report a rare case of posttraumatic hallux valgus in a collegiate football player after an acute medial collateral ligament tear of the first metatarsophalangeal joint. The patient was treated with a modification of the modified McBride technique, ... Full text Link to item Cite

Post-Traumatic Hallux Valgus: A Modified Surgical Technique.

Journal Article Arthrosc Tech · January 2022 Post-traumatic hallux valgus, a turf toe variant, is a rare, yet limiting injury. According to the literature, the deformity has been associated with acute medial collateral ligament tears, turf toe variant injuries, Lisfranc injury patterns, and first met ... Full text Link to item Cite

Management of Anterior Tibialis Tendon Ruptures.

Journal Article J Am Acad Orthop Surg · August 15, 2021 Anterior tibialis tendon ruptures, while relatively infrequent ruptures, are commonly identified in delayed fashion, which can lead to significant impairments in patient gait and function. Surgical treatment is typically required to restore ankle dorsiflex ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Chronic Achilles Ruptures: Reconstructive Options.

Journal Article J Am Acad Orthop Surg · November 1, 2018 Achilles tendon ruptures, if neglected or identified late, lead to impairments in function and gait. Surgical reconstruction is typically required to restore the resting length and tension to the gastrocnemius-soleus complex. A variety of reconstructive op ... Full text Link to item Cite

Conservative Management of Metatarsalgia and Lesser Toe Deformities.

Journal Article Foot Ankle Clin · March 2018 There are several forefoot conditions that can result in metatarsal head pain. Various points of the gait cycle can predispose the metatarsal heads to pain based on intrinsic and extrinsic imbalances. Metatarsalgia can further be classified according to pr ... Full text Link to item Cite

Replacing the fusion: Conversion of an ankle arthrodesis to a total ankle arthroplasty

Journal Article Techniques in Foot and Ankle Surgery · January 1, 2018 A painful ankle arthrodesis, whether from malunion, nonunion, or the development of adjacent hindfoot arthritis, can be a difficult problem for the patient and treating surgeon. Several surgical options are available, however, conversion of the arthrodesis ... Full text Cite

Total Ankle Arthroplasty with a Modern Fixed-Bearing System: The Salto Talaris Prosthesis.

Journal Article JBJS Essent Surg Tech · September 2014 INTRODUCTION: The Salto Talaris total ankle replacement is a fixed-bearing system that integrates a mobile tibial trial component that allows self-alignment on the distal tibial resected surface, as guided by the talar component. STEP 1 PREOPERATIVE PLANNI ... Full text Link to item Cite

Tendon transfers for the drop foot.

Journal Article Foot Ankle Clin · March 2014 The paralytic drop foot represents a challenging problem for even the most experienced orthopedic surgeon. Careful patient selection, thorough preoperative examination and planning, and application of tendon transfer biomechanical and physiologic principle ... Full text Link to item Cite

Use of external fixation as an adjunct in the reduction and fixation of displaced intra-articular calcaneus fractures: A review and surgical technique

Journal Article Techniques in Foot and Ankle Surgery · September 1, 2013 The treatment of displaced, intra-articular calcaneus fractures is controversial. Complications are associated with both closed and open treatment methods. Various forms of external fixation have been used, including a definitive means of fixation and temp ... Full text Cite

Early prospective clinical results of a modern fixed-bearing total ankle arthroplasty.

Journal Article J Bone Joint Surg Am · June 5, 2013 BACKGROUND: Several fixed-bearing total ankle arthroplasty systems are available in the United States. We report on the early clinical results of the largest known cohort of patients in the United States who received a Salto Talaris total ankle replacement ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pigmented villonodular synovitis of the ankle: an anterior-posterior technique for excision.

Journal Article Foot Ankle Spec · June 2013 Because of its high recurrence rate, complete excision with total synovectomy is crucial for diffuse pigmented villonodular synovitis (DPVNS). Regardless of location, surgical approach requires meticulous soft tissue management and full joint exposure to a ... Full text Link to item Cite

Paecilomyces lilacinus septic olecranon bursitis in an immunocompetent host.

Journal Article Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ) · May 2012 Paecilomyces lilacinus is a filamentous fungus that is a rare cause of infection in immunocompromised human hosts. We present a case of lilacinus septic olecranon bursitis in an otherwise healthy 78-year-old male. This patient's case was complicated by wou ... Link to item Cite

Incidence of wrong-site surgery among foot and ankle surgeons.

Journal Article Foot Ankle Spec · February 2011 In 1998, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons initiated the "sign your site" campaign to address the issue of wrong-site surgery (WSS). Using a confidential online survey sent to 1094 active members of the American Academy of Foot and Ankle Surgeon ... Full text Link to item Cite

Open Reduction and Internal Fixation of Intra-Articular Calcaneal Fractures Via an Extensile Lateral Approach.

Journal Article JBJS Essent Surg Tech · 2011 INTRODUCTION: Although displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures were historically treated nonoperatively because of unreliable outcomes, they are now commonly treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). STEP 1 PREOPERATIVE PLANNING AND O ... Full text Link to item Cite

Comparison of surgical outcomes of intra-articular calcaneal fractures by age.

Journal Article J Bone Joint Surg Am · December 15, 2010 BACKGROUND: Internal fixation is an accepted treatment for displaced fractures of the calcaneus. Operative intervention in older patients, however, is traditionally discouraged in the literature. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of int ... Full text Link to item Cite

Comparison of gait biomechanics: Ankle fusion versus ankle replacement

Journal Article Seminars in Arthroplasty JSES · January 1, 2010 Long-term concerns about arthrodesis, including accelerated adjacent joint degenerative disease, altered gait biomechanics, nonunion rates, and activity limitations, provided an impetus for the development and refinement of total ankle arthroplasty in the ... Full text Cite

Assessment of cervical spinal canal geometry by football position in athletes in the NFL scouting combine

Journal Article Orthopedics · January 1, 2008 The Torg ratio and space available for the cord (SAC) have been applied in the literature to characterize spinal cervical canal dimensions; however, neither has been shown to be clinically practical secondary to low positive predictive values for neurologi ... Full text Cite

Osteogenic Protein-1 (OP-1) as a replacement for iliac autograft in lumbar posterolateral spinal fusion: Overview and review of preclinical and clinical studies

Journal Article Coluna/ Columna · January 1, 2008 Osteogenic Protein-1 (OP-1) is a commercially available alternative to autograft for use in lumbar posterolateral spinal fusion procedures. It is intended to minimize pseudarthrosis risk and obviate the difficulties and complications associated with autogr ... Cite

Interrater reliability of identifying indicators of posterior ligamentous complex disruption when plain films are indeterminate in thoracolumbar injuries.

Journal Article J Orthop Sci · September 2007 BACKGROUND: The Spine Trauma Study Group (STSG) has proposed a novel thoracolumbar injury classification system and score (TLICS) in an attempt to define traumatic spinal injuries and direct appropriate management schemes objectively. The TLICS assigns spe ... Full text Link to item Cite

Assessment of injury to the thoracolumbar posterior ligamentous complex in the setting of normal-appearing plain radiography.

Journal Article Spine J · 2007 BACKGROUND CONTEXT: The posterior ligamentous complex (PLC) is thought to contribute significantly to the stability of thoracolumbar spine. Obvious translation or dislocation of an interspace clearly denotes injury to the PLC. A recent survey of the Spine ... Full text Link to item Cite

Confusion regarding mechanisms of injury in the setting of thoracolumbar spinal trauma: a survey of The Spine Trauma Study Group (STSG).

Journal Article J Spinal Disord Tech · October 2006 The Spine Trauma Study Group (STSG) developed the thoracolumbar injury severity score to direct the management of thoracolumbar spine injuries. The original system is based on 3 variables: the mechanism of injury as determined by imaging studies, the integ ... Full text Link to item Cite

Assessment of injury to the posterior ligamentous complex in thoracolumbar spine trauma.

Journal Article Spine J · 2006 BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Posterior ligamentous complex (PLC), consisting of supraspinous ligament (SSL), interspinous ligament (ISL), ligamentum flavum (LF), and the facet joint capsules is thought to contribute significantly to the stability of thoracolumbar s ... Full text Link to item Cite

Lateral epicondylitis: a comparative study of open and arthroscopic lateral release.

Journal Article Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ) · November 2004 In this article, we retrospectively review cases of resistant lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) and compare treatment with open release versus arthroscopic release. From 1997 to 2002, 87 patients were treated: 54 with open procedures and 33 with arthros ... Link to item Cite