Tibialis Anterior Tendon Lengthening: Adjunctive Treatment of Plantar Lateral Column Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

Tendon lengthening and rebalancing are adjunctive procedures for the treatment of chronic ulcerations in the diabetic foot. For example, the equinus deformity has been implicated as a major deforming force and is surgically treated by lengthening the Achilles tendon. A contracted tibialis anterior tendon can also play a role by potentiating a varus rotational force, increasing the pressures along the lateral column of the forefoot, and resulting in the development or chronicity of an ulceration. We present a novel application of tibialis anterior tendon lengthening for the adjunctive treatment of chronic ulcerations in the diabetic foot.