Abstract

Abstract:Review of 66 triple arthrodeses in 47 children (average age at operation, 12.1 years) with a minimal follow-up of two years provides a study of contemporary experience with this surgical procedure. Over 90% of patients had no or negligible pain; 79% considered their feet to be satisfactory in appearance; and most wore regular or mismatched shoes. Pseudarthrosis occurred in 9.1% of cases and could not be related to underlying disease or type of fixation. A major problem was residual deformity which occurred to some degree in 57% of cases. It could not be related to type of fixation, presence of pseudarthrosis, or age at operation, but was related to the type of underlying disease and original anatomic deformity. The incidence of residual deformity was high in patients with spastic paralysis (73%) and painful flatfeet (80%) and in patients who originally had a valgus deformity (88%). Wound infection occurred in ten cases, one of which was serious.