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.

Subtalar Fusion

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 are placed not to be removed. The post-surgery protocol involves applying a cast to the foot, and sometimes a small tube attached to the wound to drain out excess fluid.

2.      Arthroscopic surgical procedure

This procedure relieves foot pain in a less invasive way that allows for less pain, swelling, and disability after the surgery. The surgeon makes two to three small incisions through which the surgeon inserts the camera and instruments to view the joint. Fluid is flushed into the joint to make the surgery easier. Motorized shavers, biters, and graspers are used to make corrections in the subtalar joint.

3.      Cartilage removal technique

As part of a subtalar fusion surgery, all the cartilage is removed to prepare the joint surface for fusion. The surgeon roughens the bone surface to stimulate bleeding, which enables the two bones to heal together right after the joints are fixed together with screws.

4.       Using DynaNail Mini®

DynaNail Mini® is an orthopedic device made of nickel-titanium that maintains active compression after surgery. It is essential to have compression over the joint to ensure that the bones are tightly apposed and to promote adequate bone healing. The elastic properties of nickel-titanium allow the DynaNail Mini® to automatically adapt and respond to any joint changes during the healing process.  It’s a better alternative to the traditional use of screws in subtalar fusion open procedures.

Subtalar fusion has many successful cases with good recovery, so the patients can return to doing rigorous activities. You can contact MedShape Inc. to learn more about techniques for subtalar fusion using unique compression sustaining technology.

Location: Atlanta, GA, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Everything You Need to Know about DynaClip Forte Compression Staple Bone Fixation System

Image
Prior to the launch of Nitinol-based DynaClip® Bone Fixation System in 2019, plate and screws devices had predominantly been used in foot surgeries for bone fixation. Although Nitinol staples have proven effective for many foot and ankle bone fixation procedures, their application was limited due to their inability to withstand the mechanical demands of certain environments. The introduction of DynaClip as a bone fixation system offered a robust solution to maintain compression and the implant’s structural integrity long after surgery. Its design ensures the distribution of stress away from the corners of the implant thus preventing implant failure. MedShape Inc.’s launch of DynaClip Forte® compression staple builds on the 2-leg DynaClip bone staple. DynaClip Forte is a 4-leg foot staple with a low profile which allows the implant to rest on the bone. Patients don’t have to deal with irritation or complications arising from prominent or bulky hardware. DynaClip Forte’s four-leg de...
Read more

What are the Stages of Charcot foot?

Image
  “And miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep”! To walk a million miles in your life, you need your feet to support you in every step that you take, but Charcot foot or Charcot arthropathy can be a cause of concern. We, at MedShape Inc , provide effective surgical solutions to help address foot deformities and pain caused by Charcot arthropathy so that your feet support you in the way you want them to support you. What is Charcot foot? Charcot arthropathy or Charcot foot is a disease that affects soft tissues, joints and bones in the feet. From near-numbness to numbness in one or both feet, Charcot foot weakens the bones making them prone to fractures and dislocation. If Charcot foot remains untreated, it can further lead to rocker-bottom foot(when the shape of the foot changes in which the arch extends out and down),disability and amputation. What are the stages of Charcot foot? The 3 stages of Charcot foot are: ·       ...
Read more

Intramedullary Nail Fixation - All You Need to Know

Image
Intramedullary nailing is a type of surgery that repairs broken or diseased bones to keep them stable and help facilitate fusion. In this surgery, a permanent nail, i.e., an intramedullary nail or a rod is placed in the centre of the bone, so it would enable you to put weight on the bone. Typically this bone fixation procedure is carried out mostly in the Femur, Tibia, hip, and Humerus. Evolution of Hindfoot Fusion Intramedullary Nail Fixation During the 1 st generation of hindfoot fusion nailing surgery, there was no application of compression; instead, the nails were locked into the bone with screws. The 2 nd generation nail fixation applied external manual compression through the frame. 3 rd generation introduced internal compression by using an internal screw to press against the calcaneal screw. However with all these earlier generation nails, the bones are able to retain compression after the instruments are removed but would lose compression upon any bone resorption or s...
Read more