Ankle fusion surgery, also known as ankle arthrodesis, is a surgical procedure that fuses the ankle joint into a fixed position. During the surgery, the cartilage lining between the bones is removed and the bones are fused together with the help of metal plates and screws or sometimes an intramedullary nail placed inside the tibia and talus bones. This prevents any movement in the ankle joint and provides stability to the ankle.

Ankle fusion surgery is often recommended for patients who have severe ankle arthritis, injuries like ankle fractures that damage the joint beyond repair, or other conditions like rheumatoid arthritis that cause significant ankle pain and stiffness. By fusing the ankle bone, it eliminates pain from the damaged joint. The surgery immobilizes the joint and transfers stresses to adjacent less affected joints like the subtalar and midtarsal joints.

Types of Ankle Fusion Surgery

There are two main types of ankle fusion surgery - external fixation and internal fixation.

External Fixation

The external fixation method uses plates and screws on the outside of the ankle bones to fuse them. Metal plates are placed on the tibia and talus bones and held together with screws from the outside. This allows monitoring of wound healing from the outside. However, it requires pin sites and has risks of pin site infections.

Internal Fixation

In internal fixation, also called intramedullary nailing, a hollow metal nail called an ankle fusion nail is inserted inside the tibia bone from the knee down and across the ankle joint into the talus bone. The nail acts as an internal splint to fuse the bones together internally. This technique provides strong fixation and early weight bearing. It has advantages like protected wound healing and fewer risks of infections compared to external fixation.

Ankle Fusion Surgery - https://www.coherentmi.com/blog/ankle-fusion-surgery-a-revolutionary-procedure-to-fix-ankle-problem-26