title: Complications following arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis.
abstract: Forty-two patients underwent an arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis utilizing a bi-framed distraction technique and demineralized bone matrix-bone marrow slurry as a graft substitute. The average follow-up was 27 months (range, 12-64 months). The overall complication rate was 55%, including three nonunions (7%), two fractures (4.8%), four pin site infections (9.5%), one deep infection, four hardware problems (9.5%), and four symptomatic painful subtalar joints (9.5%). Overall, 85% of patients were satisfied with their final result. The complication rate was high but most complications were minor and manageable. The demineralized bone matrix and bone marrow did not seem to increase the fusion rate over what has been documented previously for arthroscopic ankle fusions without the use of this graft substitute.
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska 68131, USA.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Crosby
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Yee
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Formanek
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Fitzgibbons
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000209:etiology; D001174:Arthrodesis / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D001857:Bone Matrix / Q000637:transplantation; D001858:Bone Nails / Q000009:adverse effects; D001863:Bone Screws / Q000009:adverse effects; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015775:Fractures, Stress / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D013380:Subtalar Joint / Q000473:pathology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology; D014945:Wound Healing