The Biomechanical Behavior of Distal Foot Joints in Patients with Isolated, End-Stage Tibiotalar Osteoarthritis Is Not Altered Following Tibiotalar Fusion

Ankle arthrodesis is considered to be an optimal treatment strategy to relieve pain during walking in patients with isolated, end-stage tibiotalar osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to investigate the post-operative effect of an arthrodesis on the ankle and foot joint biomechanics. We included both patients (n = 10) and healthy reference data (n = 17). A multi-segment foot model was used to measure the kinematics and kinetics of the ankle, Chopart, Lisfranc, and first metatarsophalangeal joints during a three-dimensional (3D) gait analysis. These data, together with patient reported outcome measures, were collected at baseline (pre-operative) and one year post-operatively. Patients experienced a decrease in pain and an increase in general well-being after surgery. Compared to the baseline measurements, patients only demonstrated a significant average post-operative increase of 0.22 W/kg of power absorption in the ankle joint. No other significant differences were observed between baseline and post-operative measurements. Current findings suggest that the biomechanical behavior of distal foot joints is not altered one year after fusion. The pain relief achieved by the arthrodesis improved the loading patterns during walking. Clinical significance of this study dictates that patients do not have to fear a loss in biomechanical functionality after an ankle arthrodesis.

Publication year:2020

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IOF-keylabel:yes

BOF-publication weight:2

CSS-citation score:1

Authors from:Higher Education

Accessibility:Open