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Supramalleolar osteotomies for degenerative joint disease of the ankle joint: indication, technique and results

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Abstract

Patients with varus or valgus hindfoot deformities usually present with asymmetric ankle osteoarthritis. In-vitro biomechanical studies have shown that varus or valgus hindfoot deformity may lead to altered load distribution in the tibiotalar joint which may result in medial (varus) or lateral (valgus) tibiotalar joint degeneration in the short or medium term. The treatment of asymmetric ankle osteoarthritis remains challenging, because more than half of the tibiotalar joint surface is usually preserved. Therefore, joint-sacrificing procedures like total ankle replacement or ankle arthrodesis may not be the most appropriate treatment options. The short- and midterm results following realignment surgery, are very promising with substantial pain relief and functional improvement observed post-operatively. In this review article we describe the indications, surgical techniques, and results from of realignment surgery of the ankle joint in the current literature.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Orthopaedic Department, University Hospital of Basel, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, 4031, Basel, Switzerland

    Alexej Barg, Geert I. Pagenstert, Monika Horisberger, Jochen Paul, Marcel Gloyer & Victor Valderrabano

  2. Harold K. Dunn Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, University Orthopaedic Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Alexej Barg & Heath B. Henninger

  3. Orthopaedic Department & Osteoarthritis Research Center Basel, University Hospital of Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    Victor Valderrabano

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  1. Alexej Barg
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  2. Geert I. Pagenstert
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  3. Monika Horisberger
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  4. Jochen Paul
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  5. Marcel Gloyer
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  6. Heath B. Henninger
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  7. Victor Valderrabano
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Correspondence to Victor Valderrabano.

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Barg, A., Pagenstert, G.I., Horisberger, M. et al. Supramalleolar osteotomies for degenerative joint disease of the ankle joint: indication, technique and results. International Orthopaedics (SICOT) 37, 1683–1695 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-013-2030-2

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