title: Posterior Arthroscopic Subtalar Arthrodesis: Clinical and Radiologic Review of 19 Cases.
abstract: Arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis has recently gained popularity in the treatment of primary subtalar or post-traumatic arthritis, coalition, or inflammatory diseases with subtalar arthritis. The present study reports the clinical and radiologic results of 19 patients (19 feet) who underwent posterior arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis using 2 posterior portals. A total of 19 posterior arthroscopic subtalar arthrodeses (minimum follow-up of 24 months) performed without a bone graft and with 2 parallel screws were prospectively evaluated. The fusion rate was 94% (mean time to fusion 9.8 weeks). Modified American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot scale score (maximum 94 points) improved significantly from 43 to 80 points and the visual analog scale for pain score improved from 7.6 to 1.2. The 12-item short-form physical and mental scores at the last follow-up point were 52.5 and 56.4, respectively. One (5.3%) patient underwent open repeat fusion for nonunion, 2 (10.5%) patients required a second procedure for implant removal, and 1 (5.3%) experienced reversible neuropraxia. In conclusion, posterior arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis is a safe technique with a good union rate and a small number of complications in patients with no or very little hindfoot deformity.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Surgeon, Department of Orthopaedics, Clinica del Remei, Barcelona, Spain; Professor, Department of Anatomy and Human Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Martín Oliva
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Surgeon, Department of Orthopaedics, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Hospital Curry Cabral, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Falcão
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Surgeon, Department of Orthopaedics, Unidade Local de Saúde do Nordeste, Bragança, Portugal.
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fernandes Cerqueira
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Surgeon, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Hospital de Santo António, Porto, Portugal; Professor, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: ric_pinto@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodrigues-Pinto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001174:Arthrodesis / Q000379:methods*; D001182:Arthroscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D013380:Subtalar Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: ankle arthroscopy; posterior subtalar arthroscopy; subtalar arthritis; subtalar arthrodesis