Radiographic Measurements of the Foot and Ankle After Ankle Arthrodesis

Background: Ankle arthrodesis is an established treatment for ankle arthritis. For patients with ankle arthritis, the position of the talus during ankle arthrodesis may affect the radiographic parameters of the foot. The purpose of this study is to assess the radiographic relationship between talar alignment and the longitudinal arch of the foot before and after ankle arthrodesis. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a single-surgeon series of 30 patients who had undergone ankle arthrodesis. Measured parameters included the lateral tibiotalar angle (LTTA), lateral talometatarsal angle (LTMA), lateral talocalcaneal angle (LTCA), cuneiform height (CH), and calcaneal pitch (CP). Additional data collected included demographics, fusion construct type, and visual analog scale (VAS) measurements. Results: LTTA was increased from 68.2 ± 7.4 degrees preoperatively to 75.0 ± 6.4 degrees postoperatively ( P = .001), LTMA increased from −2.0 ± 10.7 degrees to 4.0 ± 10.1 degrees ( P