A comparison of outcomes of posterior arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis with or without bone graft for treatment of subtalar arthritis

It remains unclear whether to perform a bone graft is necessary during posterior arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis. The present research aimed to comparatively analyze the outcomes of arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis through a 3-portal posterior approach with or without bone graft.A total of 93 patients with subtalar arthritis who underwent posterior arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis were retrospectively examined. The patients were divided into two groups according to whether they received bone graft or not. The clinical outcomes were compared for analysis.Among the 93 patients included, 53 received bone graft and 40 did not. The union rate and time to osseous fusion suggested no significant difference between the two groups. The improvement of clinical outcomes were comparable between the two groups at the final follow-up.In the present study, bone graft could not effectively reduce the risk of nonunion and improve the outcome.