Ankle arthrodesis in the rheumatoid patient

We studied 11 patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis of the ankle joint who underwent arthrodesis employing the Charnley technique. Results of the procedure were assessed using the Fries score and the ankle evaluation grading system of Mazur et al. Four patients (36%) suffered pin-track sepsis. Three patients also showed delayed union, but sound bony fusion was eventually achieved in all patients.