What is Subtalar Fusion?
Subtalar fusion is a type of surgical procedure performed to relieve pain and correct deformities in the hindfoot often affected by injury, arthritis, or genetic defect. Subtalar fusion involves fusing the calcaneus to the talus. The inferior tibiofibular joint is where the fibula meets the shin bone, and the subtalar joint is where the calcaneus (i.e. heel bone) meets the talus bone. Subtalar fusion is sometimes performed arthroscopically to relieve foot pain and reduce the amount of surgical exposure . Make sure to discuss with a reliable surgeon to know which method would be suitable for you. 1. Open surgical procedure Open surgery for subtalar fusion is generally performed under general anesthetic and takes about ninety minutes. The surgeon will first make an incision on the outside of the ankle. Then, they will clean the joint surface and fix the joints together via one or two screws by implanting them through the back of the heel. The screws ...