FAI July 2024 Podcast: Association of Smokeless Tobacco and Complications Following Ankle and Hindfoot Arthrodesis

Foot & Ankle International

The purpose of this study was to (1) evaluate the rates of postoperative complications following ankle or hindfoot arthrodesis among current smokeless tobacco users and people who smoke compared to matched controls, and (2) compare rates of postoperative complications in current smokeless tobacco users vs people who smoke tobacco cigarettes. In conclusion, smokeless tobacco use is associated with higher rates of complications following ankle or hindfoot arthrodesis compared with tobacco-naïve controls, and physicians should screen for smokeless tobacco use specifically and encourage cessation before operating electively. Click here to read the article.