The Use of a Femoral Distractor to Aid Distal Tibial Resection During Total Ankle Arthroplasty

published online 03 July 2009.
Corrected Proof

Distal tibial resection during total ankle arthroplasty can be time consuming and presents a technical challenge. We recommend the use of a femoral distractor to assist with this specific part of the operation. We describe the technique below and have now adopted it as a commonplace stage in our ankle replacements.

Key Words: ankle, arthroplasty, distal tibia, femoral distractor

1 Specialist Registrar Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, United Kingdom

2 Specialist Registrar Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, United Kingdom

3 Consultant, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, United Kingdom

4 Consultant, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, United Kingdom

Address correspondence to: Simon Thompson, MBBS, BSc(Hons), MSc, MRCS, SpR, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Egerton Rd, Guildford, United Kingdom.

Financial Disclosure: None reported.

Conflict of Interest: None reported.

PII: S1067-2516(09)00246-4

doi:10.1053/j.jfas.2009.06.002