Long-term results of arthrodesis of the ankle.

Forty-four arthrodeses of the ankle were carried out between 1965 and 1984 in forty-three patients with post-traumatic osteoarthritis or poliomyelitis. Twenty-eight patients, one of whom had a bilateral arthrodesis, were followed up after an average of ten years. Twenty-four were satisfied and the patients with poliomyelitis were better than those with osteoarthritis. The condition of the tarsal joints before the operation influences the result, but the arthrodesis does not cause degenerative changes in these joints.