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Ankle fusion surgery is a reconstructive surgical procedure where a damaged ankle joint is converted into an immobile mass of bone. It’s a highly successful procedure commonly suggested for repair of severely injured joint.
During the procedure the end of the fibula is cut to gain access to the joint (transfibular procedure), damaged bones and cartilage are then removed and screws (and possibly plates) are used to fix the tibia and talus together. With time bone grows fusing the joint into one solid mass of bone. Sometimes, bone graft may be added to facilitate bone growth, this is usually taken from some other bones of the same person. Screws will remain inside the body after surgery.
Click here to see an animation of ankle fusion surgery on Alila Medical Media website where the video is also available for licensing.
Fig. 1 : Steps of surgical procedure for ankle fusion: 1. damaged joint; 2. fibula modified; 3. damaged bones and cartilage removed; 4. screws used to fix the tibia and talus together. Click on image to see a larger version on Alila Medical Media website where the image is also available for licensing.
After the surgery, the up and down range of motion is mostly restricted, but lateral motions remain unchanged. Compared to ankle joint replacement and other ankle procedures, ankle fusion has higher success rate with less pain and less complication risk.
> Ankle joint anatomy and common injuries
