The foot-ground pressure distribution following triple arthrodesis.

The present is a long-term follow-up study of patients who underwent triple arthrodesis for a variety of pathologic alterations. Utilizing a new method for both the qualitative and quantitative measurement of foot-ground pressure patterns, these patterns were recorded in forty control feet and twenty-six operated feet. In the patient group, less equal distribution of body weight between both feet was observed in comparison to the control group. In the latter, the main load underneath the foot was distributed underneath the forefoot and heel, while in the patient group, this load distribution had persistently shifted to the midfoot and heel, thus producing a completely different foot-ground pressure pattern. Furthermore, under the forefoot, the main load was located under the medial two rays in the control group, shifting towards the lateral rays in the patient group. The talo-navicular joint had the highest rate of non-union, but no positive correlation between that finding and persistent pain was found. Feet affected by neurological disorders often became pain-free following surgery, but none of the patients showed such post-traumatic relief.