A biomechanical evaluation of internal fixation for ankle arthrodesis comparing two methods of joint surface preparation

This study compared the biomechanics of two methods of joint preparation fo r ankle fusion with internal fixation. In the first method, the articular c artilage of the ankle joint was removed leaving the joint contour intact. I n the second method, parallel flat saw cuts were used to prepare the joint surface for fusion. The specimens were loaded submaximally in a cyclic repe titive fashion before they were loaded to failure. Increasing joint motion occurred as the number of cycles increased. The difference between the two specimen types was not statistically significant during the repetitive test s or when loaded to failure. These results demonstrate both techniques of j oint preparation studied are useful and biomechanically sound.