The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 72, Issue 9 1359-1363, Copyright © 1990 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
Arthrodesis of the ankle with cancellous-bone screws and fibular strut graft. Biomechanical analysis
DB Thordarson, KL Markolf and A Cracchiolo
Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles.
The stability of an arthrodesis with two cancellous-bone screws across the
ankle joint was evaluated in eighteen ankles from fresh-frozen cadavera.
Tibiotalar motion was recorded in response to the following loading modes:
medial-lateral moment, plantar flexion-dorsiflexion moment, and
internal-external tibial torque. The series of loading tests was performed
with two cancellous-bone screws through the tibia into the talus and a
lateral fibular strut graft fixed with a proximal and a distal screw. The
tests were repeated after the strut graft was removed, and again after it
had been reapplied. The amount of motion at the site of the arthrodesis was
greatest with tibial torque and was least with medial-lateral bending; this
was true for specimens with or without a fibular strut graft. Removal of
the strut graft allowed increased tibiotalar motion for all modes of
loading; increases in motion were far greater for specimens of poor bone
quality.