North Of The Border---October 19, 2006

Sorry I have been too busy to write. It seems like there is less and less time to get things done.

My clerkship applications went out Monday. I have already heard back from a couple of places. I will be in Fort Worth, Texas, in June of 2007 and Greenville, Texas, the following July. I will be in Johnson City, Tennessee, from February through May of 2008.

I scrubbed in for my first surgery today. I have seen lots of surgery, but this is the first time I got to scrub in and assist. We performed a Keller arthroplasty for a person with hallux limitus. "Hallux" is the technical name for the big toe (This little piggy went to market...). Hallux limitus is degenerative arthritis in the big toe. A person with hallux limitus cannot bend their big toe. In order to walk normally, a person must be able to bend their toe upwards at least 65 degrees. In a Keller arthroplasty, a section of bone is removed from the toe so that there is more room in the joint to allow greater range of motion. It can be used to fix a bunion, too. Here is what it looks like.

You can go here to get more info. http://podiatry.curtin.edu.au/encyclopedia/halluxlimitus/

Be sure to check out my friend Ang's new blog. I used to work with Ang at St. John's. http://staabhousehold.blogspot.com/

Everything else is status quo.

Talk to you all next time.