Table of Contents
Ankle Fusion Reversal - Introduction
Ankle fusion reversal is a procedure that is becoming more and more common place to perform. In the past it was reserved for patients who had a poor response to ankle fusion including:
- Non-healing of fusion (Non-union)
- Poor Alignment (Mal-union)
- Spread of arthritics to other foot joints
Delayed Fusion Reversal
A newer technique; this is a staged fusion reversal for younger patients, where the ankle is fused with the understanding that the patient will perform a reversal when they are older and less active. Arthroscopic fusion is an excellent way to fuse an ankle without destroying the gutter facets of the ankle joint which improves the success of fusion reversal. This technique is particularly important in patients with end stage ankle arthritis who are under 30 years old.
Fibular Integrity
It is necessary to have an intact distal fibula to succesfully perform ankle fusion reversal. Although there are newly developing techniques for restoring fibular function in patient that had the distal fibula discarded during their fusion procedure.
What to Do Next?
If you or someone you know has problems with an ankle fusion, seek out the help of a podiatrist for a proper diagnosis and treatment regime.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
