Functional Outcomes and Fusion Rates Following Arthroscopic Subtalar Arthrodesis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Subtalar arthritis presents as severe pain, inability to walk on uneven ground, and instability which hampers the normal gait biomechanics in patients. Arthrodesis is considered the gold standard to alleviate these symptoms. Over time, arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis has established itself as a viable method of treatment for isolated subtalar arthritis without significant deformity. This systematic review analyzes the functional outcomes and fusion rates following arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis for subtalar arthritis. Materials and Methods: The systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) guidelines from peer-reviewed journals published in English between June 2000 and March 2021. Quality appraisal of all selected articles was done and data was subsequently extracted and analyzed. Results: After a thorough literature search, 13 studies were included for analysis. A total of 361 patients (376 feet) undergoing subtalar arthrodesis using arthroscopic technique have been described in literature. Pooled data showed improvement in AOFAS score from 44.2 to 79.6 (p < 0.001) and a fusion rate of 94.6%. Mean time to fusion was 9.9 weeks (±0.9 week) with no significant increase in complication rates with use of the arthroscopic technique. Conclusion: Based on available literature, arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis appears to be a reliable and safe technique. This study showed promising results for isolated arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis with good fusion rates and improved functional outcomes. The authors recommend further studies for exploring use of this approach for subtalar arthritis. Level of evidence: Level IV.

Keywords

• aofas
• arthrodesis
• arthroscopic
• fusion rate
• subtalar