Instability of the Medial Column Post Triple Arthrodesis for Stage III Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction

Category:HindfootIntroduction/Purpose:Triple arthrodesis remains the ideal procedure for management of painful rigid flatfoot deformity. While concurrent extended medial column arthrodesis of either the cuneonavicular joint or the 1st tarsometatarsal joint is occasionally required, they are not routinely performed. We hypothesized that following triple arthrodesis, there will be minimal change in the alignment of the medial column joints. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the triple arthrodesis on the stability and alignment of the medial column joints.Methods:This was a retrospective review of 212 consecutive patients who underwent triple arthrodesis between 2002-2013 for correction of painful Stage III flatfoot deformity. Radiographs of the feet were obtained preoperatively, at 6 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years and 5 years following surgery. The post operative stability and alignment of the medial column was determined by comparing the radiographs over time. Five radiological parameter...