Abstract
Variable union rates in ankle arthrodesis using different surgical techniques have
been reported in the biomedical literature. However, the advantages of a transfibular
approach with sagittal splitting of the fibula have not been widely reported, even
though the technique is well known and even described in surgical textbooks. We analyzed
outcomes in our practice for all patients who underwent ankle arthrodesis. Over a
5-year period, 2 surgeons using the same transfibular approach performed 26 ankle
arthrodeses in 25 patients. The medical records and radiographs of the patients were
reviewed for duration of hospital admission, time to union, and complications. All
(100%) of the ankle fusions progressed to solid union in a mean postoperative duration
of 4.5 ± 1.8 months (range, 2-10 months), and the only clinically significant complication
involved 1 patient with suspected complex regional pain syndrome, who responded to
treatment and recovered fully.
Level of Evidence
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to The Journal of Foot and Ankle SurgeryAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Long-term results following ankle arthrodesis for post-traumatic arthritis.J Bone Joint Surg (Am). 2001; 83-A: 219-228
- Ankle arthrodesis using an anterior AO T plate.J Bone Joint Surg (Br). 1999; 81-B: 113-116
- An overview of ankle arthrodesis.Clin Orthop. 1991; 168: 96-101
- Zur Resektion des Kniegelenkes.Wien Med Press. 1879; 20: 705-708
- Primary Ilizarov ankle fusion for nonreconstructable tibial plafond fractures.Oper Orthop Traumatol. 2005; 17: 457-480
- Arthrodesis of the ankle with lateral plating.Foot Ankle Int. 1994; 15: 649-653
- The use of the transfibular approach in arthrodesis of the ankle joint.Am J Surg. 1942; 60: 550-552
- Arthrodesis of the ankle joint: experiences with the transfibular approach.J Bone Joint Surg (Br). 1948; 30-B: 506-511
- Arthrodesis of the ankle joint with complete removal of the distal part of the fibula: experience with the transfibular approach and three different types of fixation.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1976; 118: 93-99
Canale T (ed). Campbell’s Operative Orthopaedics, 10th ed, vol. 1, p 155, 2002, Mosby-Elsevier, Philadelphia, 2002.
- Arthrodesis of the ankle. A comparison of two versus three screw fixation in a crossed configuration.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1994; 304: 195-199
- Tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis: a biomechanical assessment of stability.Foot Ankle Int. 2005; 26: 530-536
- An analysis of talar surface area occupied by screw fixation in ankle fusions.Foot Ankle Int. 2006; 27: 53-55
- Transfibular compression arthrodesis of the ankle joint.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1993; 289: 223-227
- Tibiotalar arthrodesis with the tibial compression nail.Oper Orthop Traumatol. 2005; 17: 407-425
- The medial malleolar approach for arthrodesis of the ankle: a report of 13 cases.J Foot Ankle Surg. 2005; 44: 125-132
- Clinical outcome of tibiotalar arthrodesis utilizing the chevron technique.Foot Ankle Int. 2004; 25: 225-230
- Outcome of ankle arthrodesis performed by dowel technique in patients with rheumatic disease.Foot Ankle Int. 2001; 22: 666-669
- Compression arthrodesis of the ankle by triangular external fixation: biomechanical and clinical evaluation.Orthopaedics. 1999; 22: 1129-1134
- Ankle arthrodesis: internal non-compression arthrodesis versus internal compression arthrodesis.Kaohsiung J Med Sci. 1999; 15: 550-555
- A new technique of ankle arthrodesis. Aust N Z J Surg. 1992; 62: 965-968
Miller MD. Review of Orthopaedics, 4th ed, pp 4–5, 2004, Saunders-Elsevier, Philadelphia, 2004.
- Arthrodesis of the knee with a long intramedullary nail following the failure of a total knee arthroplasty as the result of infection.J Bone Joint Surg (Am). 2006; 88-A: 553-558
- Arthrodesis of the knee.Clin Orthop. 1960; 18: 37-42
- Arthrodesis in failed total knee replacement.J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1978; 60-A: 790-794
- Failed total knee arthroplasty. Revision and arthrodesis for infection and non-infectious complications.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1983; 173: 184-190
- Initial stability of ankle arthrodesis with three-screw fixation. A finite element analysis.Clin Biochem. 2004; 19: 751-759
Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 20, 2010
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.
