A recent article in a leading medical journal highlighted the medical value of arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis when treating subtalar arthritis.
Subtalar arthritis is a common condition of the foot that is characterized by pain and swelling in the back of the foot and ankle. Causes of subtalar arthritis include fracture of the calcaneus or other traumatic injuries, diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, and other more rare diseases such as PVNS or synovial chondromatosis.
Surgical Treatment Options for Subtalar Arthritis
Surgical treatment is necessary in many cases of subtalar arthritis, but both open and minimally invasive arthroscopic surgical techniques are commonly used to treat the condition.
A recent study conducted at the University of Iowa comparing prone posterior arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis and open subtalar arthrodesis determined that the minimally invasive arthroscopic technique is superior in many ways to the open technique for treatment of subtalar arthritis.
Patients treated arthroscopically had less pain, better function, and returned to daily living and sports faster than patients treated with an open surgical technique.
Learning from Studies to Improve Care with Arthroscopic Subtalar Arthrodesis
With the knowledge shared in this study about arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis, physicians and surgeons such as Dr. Carreira can provide better care to their patients by using arthroscopic techniques to treat subtalar arthritis.
If you suffer subtalar arthritis and are interested to speak with Dr. Carreira about your medical issues, please use the Request An Appointment form on Dr. Carreira’s website.
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Read more about this important study: http://jbjs.org/content/98/8/636
