Dr. Cesar de Cesar Netto, MD, PhD, Awarded Top Paper in Foot and Ankle Classification

Dr. Cesar de Cesar Netto, MD, PhD, received the award for Top Paper in Foot and Ankle Classification by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) at the AAOS 2023 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas on March 8. He received the award for the paper, “Surgical Correction of Peritalar Subluxation and Subtalar Joint Articular Coverage Improves Patient-Reported Outcomes in Progressive Collapsing Foot Deformity.”

Dr. de Netto is Assistant Professor of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. He is also the Director of The Orthopedic Functional Imaging Research Laboratory (OFIRL) at University of Iowa.

The award winning paper aimed to measure improvements in articular joint coverage after joint-sparing surgical treatment, as well as the influence of those improvements on patient reported outcomes. Patients enrolled in the study underwent a weight bearing CT (WBCT) scan pre-operatively and at their 3- and 12- month follow-up visits. Dr. de Netto found that peritalar subluxation (PTS) is an important marker in Progressive Collapsing Foot Deformity (PCFD), and that PTS and subtalar joint articular coverage improvements most influenced patient-reported outcomes.

“This paper was the result of four years of investigations,” said Dr. de Netto. “I am honored and incredibly proud of the team of researchers that contributed to this effort. WBCT imaging was a key tool for us to quantify the structural changes in PCFD patients. This technology is advancing our overall understanding of foot deformities, and this data will ultimately result in better patient care.”