Title: Long-term follow up of talus fractures; the surgical treatment outcome of 30 cases after 5 years
Authors: Hilal Ahmad Kotwal, Raja Rameez Farooqi, Mir Samiullah
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v6i6.52
Abstract
Talus fractures are rare and usually the result of high-energy trauma. These fractures compromise motion of the foot and ankle and result in severe disability. Therefore a satisfactory clinical outcome remains a challenge in the treatment of talus fractures. Complications like posttraumatic arthritis, avascular necrosis, malunion, and nonunion invariably occur in talus fractures. Follow-up periods in most studies are too short to analyze precisely these complications. The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcome of 30 displaced talus fractures who were treated operatively with a long follow-up of 5 years. Patient records and radiographs were reviewed to determine the mechanism of injury, fracture type, associated injuries and surgical intervention. The fracture had occurred in the neck of the talus in 15 feet, the body of the talus in 8 feet, the head in 2, lateral process in 4 and the posterior process in 1. Six patients (20%) presented an osteonecrosis of the talus. At five year follow-up, 18 (60%) patients presented post-traumatic osteoarthritis in at least one ankle joint and only ten patients (45%) had a normal hindfoot alignment at 5 year follow-up (8 cases of arthodesis excluded). Clinical outcome based on ankle-hindfoot scoring was rated as excellent in 5 feet, good in 12, fair in 9, and poor in 4 at the end of 5 years.
Keywords: talus, trauma, surgery, long term results, complications.
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