Liverpool Foot and Ankle Clinic

15/03/2026

Great to see this educational booklet now completed in collaboration with UK Ltd .

It is a privilege to be involved in implant design. As surgeons, we see first-hand where existing systems can create challenges in theatre. Being able to translate those experiences into implant design is incredibly rewarding, with the aim of mitigating known problems, simplifying surgical workflow, and hopefully improving patient outcomes.

Developing implants, however, is only one part of the process. Sharing the surgical thinking behind them is just as important.

The guide brings together a number of practical tips, tricks, and surgical principles that help achieve accurate fibular reduction and safe syndesmotic fixation in ankle fracture surgery, and why the Volition plating system has had these built in, including:

🔹 Restoring fibular length, rotation, and alignment
🔹 Understanding the anatomical basis for syndesmotic fixation corridors
🔹 The importance of direct visualisation of the anterior incisura, rather than relying solely on fluoroscopy
🔹 Techniques to avoid fibular shortening
🔹 Managing Wagstaffe fragments and AITFL repair
🔹 How plate geometry can assist with safer and more reproducible fixation

The booklet also explains the thinking behind the twisted plate design and polyaxial fixation options, aligning implant geometry with native fibular anatomy and safe syndesmotic trajectories.

A huge thank you to Dr. Edward Oates for the outstanding anatomical illustrations which bring these concepts to life.

Education has always been central to innovation in orthopaedic surgery. If new implants are going to improve care, surgeons need to understand the anatomy, biomechanics, and surgical workflow behind them.

If anyone would like a copy, please feel free to message me.

SurgicalEducation Innovation Orthosolutions LiverpoolFootAndAnkle

02/03/2026

📄 New Publication | From Prize Essay to Interdisciplinary Science

I’m delighted to share our latest published article in Footwear Science:
“The evolution of the human foot and its relation to foot and ankle dysfunction.” https://lnkd.in/efpp452D

This paper has a long and satisfying lineage. It began as a Robert Jones Gold Medal Award–winning essay , exploring how evolutionary adaptations of the human foot may predispose to many of the pathologies we manage daily in foot and ankle practice.

What makes this publication particularly special is how that original work has since evolved through collaboration. Working closely with , an award-winning anthropologist, allowed us to strengthen the evolutionary and biomechanical foundations of the original essay and properly integrate them with modern clinical science. That interdisciplinary input was crucial in moving this from an orthopaedic perspective alone to a genuinely translational piece spanning anthropology, biomechanics, imaging, and clinical pathology.

The final article builds on classic concepts from Morton and Lake, but updates them using contemporary tools such as weight-bearing CT and three-dimensional analysis, helping to explain why common deformities of the forefoot, midfoot, and hindfoot recur so consistently in modern populations, and how footwear may amplify or mitigate these risks.

I’m very grateful to all the co-authors across Liverpool ( ), Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital ( ) NHS Trust. A special mention to Kashif Ahmad for working so hard to get this over the line. It’s a reminder that some of the most meaningful advances happen when clinical questions are examined through a broader scientific lens.

Always happy to discuss the paper or hear others’ thoughts.

AcademicSurgery FootwearScience

28/02/2026

27/02/2026

Huge congratulations to my colleague and our Trauma Clinical Director for the Liverpool Trauma & Orthopaedic Service ( ), Miss .stevenson.121

What Helene is championing through her national work with the Royal College Surgeons Edinburgh is a thoughtful, ambitious, and much-needed piece of work that sets out a clear vision for advocacy, mentorship, leadership representation, and cultural change across surgery and dentistry.

This is about culture as much as capability. Creating an environment where talent defines success, where mentorship and advocacy are embedded rather than optional, and where future generations of surgeons can see role models who look like them and lead like them. That matters, for individuals, for teams, and ultimately for the patients we serve.

Helene brings this ethos into her clinical and leadership roles every day, grounding national advocacy in the realities of trauma care and surgical training. Liverpool Trauma & Orthopaedics is fortunate to have leadership that not only delivers excellent care, but actively works to make surgery a more inclusive and sustainable profession.

Very well done, Helene. This work truly matters.

👏

RCSEd Liverpool

22/02/2026

I’m pleased to say that this educational project with is now complete.

The guide brings together the published evidence, anatomical principles, biomechanical data, and clinical outcomes that directly informed the design of the anterior ankle fracture plating system, a system developed to address real surgical problems rather than adapt existing implants. The references within the guide underpin key design choices around approach selection, fragment-specific fixation, low-profile geometry, and restoration of sagittal talar stability in AO/OTA 43B (anterior pilon) fractures.

This work focuses on translating evidence into practice: understanding injury morphology, recognising limitations, respecting soft tissues, and designing implants that support reproducible, anatomy-led surgery.

Many thanks to OrthoSolutions for supporting evidence-based, surgeon-led innovation, and to Dr. Edward Oates for the exceptional medical illustrations from that elevate the educational value of this piece.

If you’d like a copy of the guide, please DM me and I’m very happy to share it.

SurgicalAnatomy MedicalEducation OrthoSolutions

14/02/2026

Case Discussion | Trimalleolar Ankle Fracture – Follow-Up (Treatment, Positioning & Anatomy)

Thanks again for the great engagement on the initial post. It’s amazing to see how many are aligning on the treatment of PM fractures. Here’s the initial post:

https://lnkd.in/e2ZbiU4N

Here’s my key points and thoughts. The patient was positioned supine, allowing access to the anterior ankle and syndesmosis. Direct visualization definitely improves reduction and length restoration. It’s also great to see so many now dispelling the “syndesmosis is stable if PM fixed” myth now.

A MPM approach was then used, which allowed:
🔹 Direct access to the tibialis posterior and FDL, both of which were found to be entrapped within the fracture
🔹 full access to the PM and medial tibia (like the image by Dr. Edward Oates
from

The xrays subtly reflected in the MPM in the supine position as the PA screws through plate are slightly oblique.

Other points to note in this, old ATFL injury (screened and stable), MM fixation in safe zone, perfect fibular position on lateral radiograph.

These are exactly the details I’ll be discussing further at .foot.and.ankle.surgeons in 2 weeks.

PosteriorMalleolus Syndesmosis TibialisPosterior

13/02/2026

📢 New Publication | Achilles Tendon Rupture Management

Delighted to share our latest publication in Foot and Ankle Clinics of North America .medecine on the nonoperative management of acute Achilles tendon ruptures. Thanks to Strasser MD 👟 for the invite, and the specific instructions to lay out what functional rehabilitation was, and the specifics to the protocols that lead to good outcomes, like seen in the British Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society registry.

📄 Protocol for Functional Rehabilitation of Achilles Tendon Ruptures

This paper brings together high-quality evidence and practical experience to support accelerated functional rehabilitation as a safe, effective, and reproducible alternative to surgery for many patients.

🔑 Key take-home messages for colleagues:
• Nonoperative treatment using modern functional rehabilitation achieves equivalent rerupture rates and functional outcomes to surgery
• Early protected weight-bearing and controlled mobilisation are central to optimal tendon healing
• Structured protocols matter – SMART and LAMP provide reliable, evidence-based frameworks
• Nonoperative care avoids surgical risks such as wound complications and sural nerve injury
• Ultrasound gap size alone should not dictate treatment
• Immobilisation must achieve true ankle equinus – not all boots or wedges do this effectively
• Successful outcomes depend on compliance and close physiotherapy collaboration
• With experience and protocol adherence, rerupture rates

08/02/2026

Great to be invited to speak at the Innovations in Orthopedic & Sports Surgery Conference 2026 at the Marriott Hotel Jeddah organised by Kings College Hospital London, Jeddah.

Two excellent days of learning, discussion, and sharing ideas across orthopaedics and sports surgery. I really enjoyed contributing to the Foot & Ankle session, speaking on the evolution of posterior malleolar fracture management and talus fracture dislocation – from initial treatment to salvage. Some great speakers from both Saudi Arabia and International.

Huge thanks to the organising team and for to Raheel Shariff for the invitation and for putting together such a strong programme. Always energising to learn from colleagues across subspecialties and to hear different perspectives from an international faculty and audience.

07/02/2026

Really grateful to and imaging for my keynote lecture on Posterior Malleolar Fractures at the Innovations in Orthopedic & Sports Surgery Conference (Advancing Precision, Performance & Patient-Centred Care) hosted by King’s College Hospital London, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

captured it perfectly in his previous post about this work “an iconic blend of creativity and software-driven graphics-rendering”. Starting from true “bare-bones beginnings,” the transformation of surgical anatomy into clear, elegant, and educational visuals using OperativeINK.com has significantly elevated how these concepts can be taught and understood.

A great example of how creativity, technology, and surgical education intersect to move the field forward. A real pleasure working with you, Ed, and also the OrthoSolutions team for linking with Ed to make this possible.

27/01/2026

🔴 ALL ON RED at .foot.and.ankle.surgeons 2026 🔴
Las Vegas | February 25, 2026

Thrilled to be speaking at OrthoSolutions’ ALL ON RED event during ACFAS 2026, alongside Dr. Galli — an evening dedicated to innovation, technique, and the future of foot & ankle surgery.

The focus: Where design, technique, and outcomes converge.

📍 Location: Piero’s Italian Cuisine
📅 Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2026
🕕 Time: 6:15pm
🔗 RSVP: allonred.rsvpify.com

Excited for a great evening of discussion, collaboration, and forward-thinking ideas with colleagues from across the specialty.

Innovation Surgery OrthoSolutions Education Collaboration

19/01/2026

Northern lights over tonight. My colleague .stevenson.121 made me get out of bed to photograph them 😆