Ankle Arthritis: Fusion With a Bone Nail Animation

Ankle Arthritis: Fusion With a Bone Nail Animation

This video will provide an animated demonstration of an ankle fusion for ankle arthritis utilizing a bone nail.

The important bones that help move the ankle include the tibia, fibula, talus, and calcaneus, or heel bone.

Ankle arthritis often impacts the joint between the tibia and talus, called the tibiotalar joint, and can also impact the joint between the talus and calcaneus, called the subtalar joint.

This video will demonstrate the use of a bone nail, a surgical implant used to compress the joints together. The goal is to fuse or minimize movement between these joints to ultimately relieve pain.

Here is the bottom of the left foot. A hole has already been drilled to make a path through the calcaneus, talus, and tibia. Attached to the blue nail is a metal cable that will later be used to add additional compression to the joints being fused. The attached black instrument is a guide that sits on the outside of the ankle during placement. The guide has holes that correspond to holes in the nail for eventual screw placement.

The bone nail will be placed into the path previously drilled. The guide will be turned so the first screw can be placed in the back of the calcaneus. Then, it will be turned again to place a screw at the top of the nail. Then, the compression handle attached to the end of the nail will be turned to engage tension on the cable, which compresses the joints together.

The compression handle is removed and the guide is turned. A screw is inserted in the back of the heel bone. Then, the guide is turned a final time to place screws in the talus and tibia to lock everything in place. The compression handle and guide are then removed. The nail is now placed with added compression across the joints to encourage healing. The surgery is now complete.