• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 2005

Purpose: We reviewed the results of ankle arthritis with advanced deformity treated with open arthrodesis. Materials and Methods: Seventeen patients who had painful ankle arthritis with advanced deformity underwent open arthrodesis using chevron osteotomy or transfibular approach and were followed for an average of 4.2 years (range, 1.5 to 9.7 years). The average age was 51.4 years and the most common cause was traumatic arthritis (13 patients). Postoperative outcome was evaluated using Mazur's grading system for ankle function. we also checked time to union, patient satisfaction, complications, position of arthrodesis and degenerative changes of adjacent joints. Results: Clinical score was improved to 76.4 points from 46.7 points. Average time to union was 4.3 months and the rate of satisfaction was 88%. Complications included 1 nonunion, 2 malunion, 1 superficial infection and 1 combined delayed union and malunion. There were 14 cases within $5^{\circ}$ valgus in frontal plane and 13 cases within neutral to $5^{\circ}$ dorsiflexion in sagittal plane. 3 cases in chevron osteotomy revealed valgus and plantarflexed position over $5^{\circ}$. Degenerative changes of adjacent joints was seen in 2 patients. Conclusion: Open arthrodesis for ankle arthritis with advanced deformity shows favorable clinical outcome. Transfibular approach shows more consistent results than chevron soteotomy for desired position of arthrodesis.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 1999

The purpose of this study Is to assess the retained range of motion[RROM] of the foot after arthrodesis of the ankle joint, which might help designing the angle of arthrodesis. We reviewed the results including the RROM in 14 cases of ankle arthrodesis. Underlying causes included trauma group(six posttraumatic arthritis) and disease group(three osteoarthritis, three Charcot joints, one chronic synovitis and one pyogenic arthritis). We measured the RROM on the lateral roentgenograms of the ankle in full dorsiflexion and plantarflexion, The results were assessed by the AOFAS hindfoot scale[score]. The RROM in sagittal plane was $23.4{\pm}5.3$ degrees and the score was 71.5 points on average. The RROM and the score were $26.8^{\circ}{\pm}2.1$, 81.2 points respectively in trauma group and $20.8^{\circ}{\pm}5.6$, 64.3 points in disease group; $26.6^{\circ}{\pm}2.3$, 83.4 points in cases younger than 40 years of age and $21.6^{\circ}{\pm}5.7$, 64.9 points in the older. The mean score was 77.3 points in cases whose RROM were $24^{\circ}$ or more and 61 points in cases of less RROM; 69.6 and 73.4 points in cases with and without adjacent degenerative arthritis respectively. The score was 69.7, 73.3 and 71.5 points in cases whose angle of arthrodesis was in dorsiflexion, neutral, plantarflexion respectively. In conclusion, after ankle arthrodesis RROM of the foot was $23.4^{\circ}$, and the more the RROM, the higher the score. In cases with sufficient amount of RROM, the angle of fusion on sagittal plane might not influence the result significantly.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.202-207
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the radiological and clinical outcomes of tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis using retrograde compressive intramedullary nail for patients with complex hindfoot problems, including Charcot arthropathy, osteonecrosis of talus, combined arthritis of the ankle and subtalar joint, failure of previous ankle arthrodesis, and failed total ankle arthroplasty. Materials and Methods: Eighteen consecutive patients (10 men and 8 women) with an average age of 54 years (range, 42~72 years) underwent tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis using retrograde compressive intramedullary nail fixation. The mean duration of follow-up was 16 months (range, 12~23 months). Radiological evaluation included assessment of the union status of ankle and subtalar joints. Clinical evaluations included visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and patient satisfaction, and postoperative complications were analyzed. Results: Radiological union was achieved in 14 ankle joints (77%) and 16 subtalar joints (88%) at an average of 16 weeks (range, 14~40 weeks) and 14 weeks (range, 12~24 weeks), respectively. The preoperative VAS were 4.6 (range, 4~8) at rest and 8.2 (range, 7~10) during walking, and the postoperative VAS were 2.2 (range, 0~3) and 4.6 (range, 4~6), respectively (p<0.05). There were 6 nonunions (4 ankle joints and 2 subtalar joints), 3 tibia fractures, 2 delayed union of ankle joints, and 2 breakage of the implant. Conclusion: Tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis using retrograde compressive intramedullary nail may be considered as a viable option in patients with complex hindfoot problems.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.183-188
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• 2014

Purpose: The accepted general management principle after ankle arthrodesis is to maintain non-weight bearing for 6 to 8 weeks. The aim of this study was to report clinical outcome of patients allowed early weight bearing after arthroscopic arthrodesis. Materials and Methods: We analyzed medical records and radiographs to determine fusion rate and complication risk of 22 sequential patients allowed to walk under short leg cast within 3 days after arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis using 2 screws from January 2008 to June 2012. The minimum follow-up period was 18 months, and the mean age of the patients was 67 years. Results: The mean visual analog scale was decreased from 8.9 points preoperatively to 2.3 points after 12 months. Complete ankle fusion was achieved in 19 patients (86.4%) at 3-month follow-up. There were 2 cases of delayed union and one case of nonunion at 12-month follow-up. There was no other complication such as wound problem, persistent swelling of the ankle. Conclusion: Bony union may not be interfered even though patients were allowed to walk under cast within a few days after arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2015

Total ankle replacement has been performed for treatment of end stage arthritis of the ankle, hopefully being an alternative to ankle arthrodesis. However, due to its high failure rates, earlier versions of ankle replacements were not regarded as successful procedures. The latest design has shown increasingly positive results. Total joint replacement of the ankle itself is still regarded as a demanding procedure and much more challenging than that of the hip and knee in many aspects. Several studies, however, have pointed out that it is becoming the viable, accepted alternative for arthrodesis with advanced implants, appropriate patient selection, and proper training experience of procedures. Compared with arthrodesis, it shows equal or better outcomes in pain relief, range of motion, and patient's satisfaction. We are attempting to review its biomechanical characteristics, implant design, indications, complications, clinical outcomes, and survival rate.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.140-145
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• 2010

Purpose: The diabetic charcot neuroarthropathy of ankle is an infrequent site (around 5%), but is definitely the location that, because of the instability and progressive deformity it involves, cause ulceration in a high percentage of patients, and this can then become a reason for amputation. However, the treatment of this disastrous disease is still challenging. We analyzed the clinical and radiological results of ankle arthrodesis by our fixation method in Charcot neuroarthropathy. Materials and Methods: Seven cases that were diagnosed as charcot neuroarthropathy of ankle arthrodesis were followed for more than 16 months postoperatively. Mean age was 57 years, and the mean follow-up period was 27 months. Anterior approach was used in arthrodesis, and internal fixation by 3 or more cannulated screws and hybrid type external fixation were used. Auto iliac bone for grafting was combined in all cases. External fixator was kept for 3 months without weight-bearing. Then, boots brace was applied for more 3 months allowing partial weight-bearing. Four cases had minor complications such as pin site infection. Preoperative and postoperative AOFAS score, time to fusion and postoperative complications were checked. Results: Postoperative fusion was completed in all cases, and the mean time to fusion was 3.4 months. No postoperative complication was checked. At the last follow-up, the mean AOFAS score had increased from 54 points to 72 points. Patient's satisfaction was over 80%. Conclusion: Satisfactory results were obtained after ankle arthrodesis using internal and hybrid type external fixation combined with auto iliac bone graft in charcot neuroarthropathy with minor complications.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.111-117
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• 2022

Despite the lack of evidence-based standard guidelines to select the best surgical treatment option for end-stage ankle osteoarthritis, the rate of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is increasing rapidly relative to ankle arthrodesis (AA) with the development of implant designs and surgical techniques. Physicians and patients would benefit from a more comprehensive understanding of the differences in postoperative pain relief, functional improvement, the rates of complication or reoperation, and restoration of gait ability and sports activity. This paper overviews the current consensus on indications and contraindications for TAA and provides a literature review on a comparison of the clinical and functional results between TAA and AA.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.95-98
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• 2009

Charcot arthropathy of the foot and ankle is characterized by a combination of sensory, motor and autonomic peripheral neuropathy leading to gross swelling, bony destruction and finally severe bony deformity with joint instability. We report a case of very unstable Charcot arthropathy in ankle joint managed with ankle arthrodesis using fibular strut bone grafting technique.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.50-53
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• 2021

Ankle arthrodesis has been used frequently for end-stage ankle arthritis that does not respond to conservative treatment. On the other hand, there are concerns regarding the degenerative changes to the adjacent joint, such as the subtalar or talonavicular joint, due to the altered biomechanics after the loss of ankle motion. Because the arthrodesis for these midtarsal joints may overload stress on another contiguous joint, a salvage procedure should be considered rather than joint sacrificing. This paper reports a case of talonavicular arthritis after malunited ankle arthrodesis that was treated with interpositional arthroplasty using the tibialis anterior tendon.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.111-116
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• 2021

Purpose: Variations in the preferred conservative and operative treatment methods for ankle arthritis may be observed in the practice of orthopedic surgeons. This study is based on the Korean Foot and Ankle Society (KFAS) member survey and aims to report the current trend and changes in the management of ankle arthritis over the last few decades. Materials and Methods: A web-based questionnaire containing 24 questions was sent to all KFAS members in July 2021. The questions were mainly related to the preferred techniques and clinical experience in osteotomy, arthrodesis, and total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) for patients with ankle arthritis. Results: Sixty-three out of 550 surgeons (11.5%) responded to the survey. The responses to 6 out of the total of 24 questions (25.0%) achieved the levels needed to reflect a tendency. Answers that showed a tendency were related to the following: a surgical approach for arthrodesis (anterior approach), use of auto-bone graft for arthrodesis (iliac bone), a nonunion rate of more than 10% following arthrodesis, main reason related to unsatisfactory results after arthrodesis (nonunion or delayed union), the main reason to change total ankle prosthesis (unstable supply of prosthesis), the unusualness of revision TAA and conversion of fusion to TAA. Diversity was found in several aspects of treatment (degree of experience and satisfaction in supramalleolar osteotomy, fixation method for arthrodesis, preferred TAA prosthesis and longevity, degree of experinece, annual number of TAA operation. Conclusion: This study proposes updated information with regard to the current trends in the management of ankle arthritis in Korea. Both consensus and variations in the approach to patients with ankle arthritis were identified through this survey. With an increasing preference for TAA, the need for the development of a prosthesis optimized for Koreans and a stable supply of prostheses were the suggestions made by the study.