An old school and fairly common surgical solution for rearfoot pain or instability is a triple arthrodesis. A triple arthrodesis fuses the subtalar joint (stj), talo-navicular joint (TN) and calcaneo-cuboid joint (CC). So why are these three joints so commonly fused together? And why aren’t more isolated fusions done? Join us for the discussion about an isolated CC fusion to learn more.
December 23, 2007
Tight Achilles tendon following calcaneal fracture
A calcaneal fracture can change many of the dynamics of the foot and ankle. Getting back on your feet can have a number of different challenges. But surprisingly, one of the more common problems is tightness of the Achilles tendon. This tightness isn’t necessarily due to the calcaneal fracture, but more so due to being casted in a plantarflexed position. So while the fracture is healing, the Achilles is contracting. When you try to being bearing weight, the tendon is too tight and creates pain at the back of the heel.
To learn more, please join us in our discussion forum. We’d appreciate your comments.
December 1, 2007
Return to weight bearing following triple arthrodesis?
A triple arthrodesis is a salvage procedure performed by foot and ankle surgeons for pain in the tarsal region of the foot. Arthrodesis means to fuse, and in the case of a triple, obviously we’re fusing three joint within the tarsal bones. These joints include the subtalar joint, the talo-navicular joint and the calcaneo-cuboid joint.
The immediate short term disability of a triple can be significant. Non-weight bearing is required to enable healing. The period of non-weight bearing can be upwards of 12 weeks. When do we know how to return patients to weight bearing ? Honestly we don’t. There’s no clinical or radiographic test that tells us that the three fusion sites are complete. The best test is to simply begin weight bearing…a little at a time.
The comments below are from a patient who is trying to begin that process of weight bearing after a triple arthrodesis.
