Arthroscopic Medial Approach for Modified Double Arthrodesis of the Foot

The single medial incision subtalar joint and talonavicular joint arthrodesis has been shown to be a useful alternative for the correction of hindfoot valgus deformity. We describe an arthroscopic method of joint preparation using this approach. The present case report included 6 consecutive patients aged 35 to 72 (mean ± standard deviation 55.8 ± 15.54) years (4 males [66.7%] and 2 females [33.3%]), who had undergone the medial approach for modified double arthrodesis of the foot. Of the 6 patients, 3 (50.0%) had undergone arthroscopic joint preparation and 3 (50.0%) traditional (manual) joint preparation. Osteobiologic agents were used in all patients. We found a shorter tourniquet time for the patients who had undergone an arthroscopic approach, with a mean of 110 ± 7.21 minutes, compared with a traditional joint preparation, with a mean of 121.3 ± 8.08 minutes. We also found a shorter time to radiographic union in the patients who had undergone an arthroscopic approach, all of whom showed signs of union at 6 weeks. Only 2 of the 3 patients in the traditional joint preparation group had achieved union at a mean of 10 ± 2.83 weeks, with 1 case resulting in nonunion. This technique could be a viable alternative to traditional methods of joint preparation by decreasing the operative time and improving the union rates.