Ankle arthrodesis in rheumatoid arthritis

Description: We have reviewed the results of 30 ankle arthrodeses performed on 26 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This procedure was associated with a high morbidity, with wound breakdown and infection occurring in 12 cases. Eighteen ankles had fused, six had pain-free fibrous union, and six required further surgery for nonunion. Clinical evaluation, at an average follow-up of 5 years, was based on a modified ankle-grading system with good or excellent results in 14, fair results in nine, and poor in two. Only 4 patients had some residual pain in the ankle, and so, despite the high complication rate, arthrodesis is an effective method of treating the painful, rheumatoid ankle.
Ankle arthrodesis in rheumatoid arthritis: 30 cases followed for 5 years Authors: Christopher G. Moran; Lan M. Pinder; Stephen R. Smith Acta Orthopaedica, Volume 62, Issue 6 December 1991 , pages 538 - 543 full text available