Abstract
Ankle fusion is a well established way of managing a variety of recalcitrant ankle
pathologies including severe osteoarthritis and infected malunion of ankle fractures.
Compression arthrodesis has been a widely accepted surgical means of achieving ankle
fusion. The authors describe compression arthrodesis of the tibiotalar joint in 10
cases using the Taylor-Spatial Frame (TSF). From 2003 to 2005, 10 patients (9 male
and 1 female) aged between 48 and 71 years (median age 61 years) underwent application
of the TSF to achieve compression arthrodesis of 10 ankle joints. The TSF is an external
fixator system supported by a computer program. After input of the radiological deformities
referenced to one of the rings, the computer provides the detailed strut adjustments
necessary to bring about gradual correction. The underlying pathology was severe posttraumatic
arthritis (2 cases), malunion (1 case), nonunion of pilon fracture (1 case), and infected
ankle (1 case). Five cases presented with previous failed surgical arthrodesis. Clinical,
subjective, objective, and radiological analyses were performed regularly and at the
end of an average follow-up of 16.7 months (range 12–26 months). Solid fusion in anatomical
alignment with return to a fully functional status was obtained in 10 out of 10 ankles.
The TSF has shown encouraging results as a simple, effective and versatile means of
achieving compression arthrodesis of the ankle joint.
Level of Clinical Evidence
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 04, 2009
Footnotes
Financial Disclosure: None reported.
Conflict of Interest: None reported.
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
