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walk out of the operating room in a small surgical shoe." A Better Way: Contours Lapidus Plating System Dr. Blitz's advancement in foot and ankle surgery has changed the perception of surgical intervention for patients suffering from bunions. Historically, surgeons have employed more than a hundred different bunion surgery operations, while only a handful are in use today, according to Dr. Blitz. "Mild bunions are treated differently than larger bunions," he says. "An oste- otomy [bone cut] at the top of the metatarsal bone, near the big toe joint, allows only that top portion of bone to be moved over, which is then held in place with a single screw." However, larger bunions often require alignment at the bottom of the metatarsal bone by means of a bone fusion procedure in the arch, called the Lapidus Bunionectomy. "The fixation techniques in use 15 to 20 years ago couldn't keep the bones steady with weight-bearing pressure, so the cast and crutches would do that while the bone mended," Dr. Blitz explains. "Bunions were looked upon as difficult to repair from both the surgical and the recovery standpoint." Considering traditional bunion sur- gery methods utilized screws with or without a plate inserted into the foot for support, but still required several weeks to heal with immobilization, Dr. Blitz set out to create more immedi- ate, weight-bearing mock-ups to bring his concept to fruition. Improving upon the Lapidus Bunionectomy technique, Dr. Blitz developed an implantable device that holds the bone steady with screws and a locking plate system made of titanium that is contoured to match the anatomy of the patient's bone, and also allows him to have his patients walk immediately after surgery. "The concept for the plating system first started with creating a bone model out of and clay, then strategically mark- ing where the tendons insert so that the plate would fit anatomically without irritating the surrounding structures," Dr. Blitz explains. "It also needed to be more stable than screws we were currently using, and this was a time when plates were second-generation, generalized plates. I thought it would be possible to make a specialized plate where the screws have optimal angles to fit in this part of the bone." Dr. Blitz presented his idea to Orthofix International, a leading orthopedic product manufacturer based in Texas. Together, they worked on prototypes. "One of the important things about developing the plate was that it couldn't be just a reg ula r dev ice," Dr. Blitz says. "It had to be special. It avoids the tendons in the area and sits in the sweet spot of the bone with the correct amount of fixation to meet the needs of simulated weight-bearing." Dr. Blitz was also adamant that these new implants be made to fit actual Dr. Blitz's Bunionplasty procedure has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. His advanced techniques allow patients to get back on their feet fast without the need for cast and crutches. Dr. Blitz and David Wong, DPM, assistant surgeon to Dr. Blitz, perform a Bunionplasty. The state-of-the-art office has digital X-rays, which Dr. Blitz uses to assess the severity of patients' bunions, as well as other foot and ankle problems. M D N E W S . CO M ■ MD NEWS Long Island | 7 M D N E W S . CO M ■ MD NEWS Long Island | 7