An unusual cause of pain post ankle arthrodesis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease which frequently affects the ankle and foot. End stage ankle arthritis from rheumatic disease is commonly managed by the established practice of ankle arthrodesis. Among the adverse sequelae causing pain following this surgery is infection, pseudo-arthrosis and non-union. Stress fracture of the distal third is a recognised but unusual cause of pain of tibia following ankle arthrodesis. The authors' present three patients with rheumatoid arthritis who sustained a stress fracture of the distal tibia following arthrodesis, and discuss the contributing factors and highlight the need for orthopaedic surgeons to be suspicious of this complication post surgery.