Ankle Arthroscopy Techniques Developed by the Amsterdam Foot and Ankle School

Ankle injuries are often sport related and pose a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Over the past 25 years, Niek van Dijk, founder of the Amsterdam Foot and Ankle School and author of this book, has developed a new philosophy of ankle arthroscopy. It entails a comprehensive approach which includes various diagnostic strategies and the application of a number of minimally invasive endoscopic techniques. Use of these techniques has spread throughout the world; they are now recognized as the state of the art and have been used to treat many leading professional athletes. This diagnostic and operating manual presents the Amsterdam Foot and Ankle School approach for a wide variety of ankle and hindfoot problems. Clear step-by-step instructions are provided with the help of numerous high-quality illustrations, most of which are in color. Access to a web-based educational site is also available to readers.

Niek van Dijk, MD, PhD, is Professor of Orthopaedics and Head of the Orthopaedic Department of the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam. Dr. van Dijk is a specialist in arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery of the knee, foot & ankle and sports medicine. His department has treated many professional athletes from all over the world. He undertook his professional training in Orthopaedic Surgery at the Academic Medical Center of the University Hospital of Amsterdam and in 1994 completed his PhD on “diagnostic strategies in patients with severe ankle sprain.” In 1998 he founded the Orthopaedic Research Center Amsterdam (ORCA) and has been Director of the Center since then. He became a full professor in 2002. Dr. van Dijk is a past President of the Dutch Orthopaedic Society, the Dutch Arthroscopic Society, and the Nordic Orthopaedic Federation. He is board member of the International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS) and President of the European Society for Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA). Diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for chronic ankle injuries have been a prominent focus of his research. Dr. van Dijk on average presents 25 international invited lectures each year and has published more than 250 scientific articles in indexed publications.