Foot Ankle Int. 1999 Jun;20(6):375-378
Morgan SJ, Thordarson DB, Shepherd LE
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Six patients with ankle joint destruction and delayed metaphyseal union after tibial plafond fracture were surgically treated with tibiotalar arthrodesis and metaphyseal reconstruction, using a fixed-angle cannulated blade-plate.
METHODS: The procedure was performed through a posterior approach in five cases and a lateral approach in one case. The subtalar joint was preserved in all cases.
RESULTS: Metaphyseal union and a stable arthrodesis were obtained in all cases without loss of fixation and with no mechanical failure of the blade-plate. Union was obtained in an average of 26 weeks. No secondary procedures were required to obtain union. All six patients were ambulatory at last follow-up.
CONCLUSION: Stable internal fixation for simultaneous tibiotalar fusion and metaphyseal reconstruction can be achieved with a cannulated blade-plate while preserving the subtalar joint in complex plafond fractures.
Copyright © 1999 (Foot Ankle Int. Jun;20(6):375-378) by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, Inc., originally published in Foot & Ankle International, and reproduced here with permission.