Ankle fusion is the optimal surgery for treatment of ankle arthritis (review)

Treatment of end-stage ankle arthritis currently is a relevant and unresolved orthopedics problem. Conservative treatment often is not effective. One of the popular surgery treatment in our country and internationally is the ankle arthrodesis. This treatment is directed for pain relief, restoration of plantigrade lower extremity and increase in quality of life. Ankle arthrodesis can be performed via different approaches to the joint depending on: type of deformity, method of fixation, condition of soft tissues, preferences and experience of the surgery. Today a lot of various surgical options are being developed to be used for this surgical procedure: external fixation, internal fixation using plates, screws and intramedullary nails; there are different options of surgeries that differ in degree of surgical invasion. Although, this problem is well covered now, there are no widely approved algorithms and concepts to the selection of patients and methods of treatment. The authors analyzed literature articles which described different methods of ankle fusion in world orthopedics.