Anatomic aspects of tibiotalocalcaneal nail arthrodesis

During the past 15 years, tibiotalocalcaneal nail arthrodesis has become an established procedure for the treatment of specific disorders of the hindfoot and ankle. However, controversy exists regarding the proper starting point for obtaining and maintaining the correct hindfoot position to allow successful fusion. One of the challenges with this procedure is aligning the tibial canal with the central talus and calcaneus for placement of the intramedullary nail. We performed a cadaver study to evaluate the radiographic and anatomic position of the tibial canal and the central talus as it relates to placement of a retrograde tibiotalocalcaneal nail. In our subjects, guide wires directed in an antegrade fashion down the tibial canal were more likely to enter lateral to the midline of the talus and miss the calcaneal body medially. These data have revealed a mismatch among the central axis of the tibia, talus, and calcaneus. Surgeons must pay careful attention to wire placement across these 3 bone segments during retrograde tibiotalocalcaneal nailing.