Subtalar arthroscopic arthrodesis: Technique and outcomes

Foot Ankle Surg. 2017 Mar;23(1):9-15. doi: 10.1016/j.fas.2015.11.007. Epub 2015 Dec 11.

Abstract

Purpose: The goal of this study was to describe the surgical technique and our results with arthroscopic posterior subtalar arthrodesis.

Material and methods: Retrospective case series of 65 patients (38 men and 27 women) averaging 50 years of age (range 21-72 years) undergoing posterior arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis using one or two percutaneous 6.5-7.3mm screws between May 2004 and February 2011, with a mean follow-up of 57.5 months (range 24-105 months).

Results: We achieved a 95.4% union rate after an average of 12.1 weeks (range 9 to 16 weeks). 12.3% of patients suffered complications, including superficial infection, nonunion and need for hardware removal. The AOFAS score improved from 51.5 points (19-61 points) preoperatively to 81.9 points (60-94 points) in the postoperative period.

Conclusions: We describe the surgical technique for arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis, which as proven to be a safe and reliable technique in our experience, with consistent improvements in AOFAS scores.

Keywords: Hindfoot artrhroscopy; Subtalar arthroscopic arthrodesis.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Arthrodesis / methods*
  • Arthroscopy / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Joint Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Joint Diseases / etiology
  • Joint Diseases / surgery*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Positioning
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Subtalar Joint*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Young Adult