The Ankle Arthroplasty Frontier: Total Ankle Replacement: An Operative Manual
Historically, end-stage ankle arthritis was treated exclusively with an ankle fusion—eliminating the pain but permanently locking the joint and guaranteeing adjacent-joint arthritis within a decade. Today, Total Ankle Replacement (TAR) has revolutionized foot and ankle surgery, preserving motion and restoring normal gait. Total Ankle Replacement: An Operative Manual is a fiercely technical, heavily illustrated surgical atlas detailing the absolute vanguard of this highly complex procedure. This volume provides the exact blueprints required to master the modern TAR.
Mastering Implant Alignment
The core philosophy of this text is perfectly restoring the mechanical axis of the tibia to the talus. The authors aggressively detail the use of patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) and intra-operative fluoroscopy. It dictates exactly how to execute the anterior approach, protecting the superficial peroneal nerve, and how to precisely pin the cutting blocks to ensure the tibial cut is perfectly perpendicular to the mechanical axis of the leg.
Navigating Soft Tissue Balancing and Deformity
The book provides a masterclass in complex reconstruction. A TAR will catastrophically fail if the ankle is unstable. It dictates the exact surgical pathways for addressing concurrent deformity, detailing how to execute a calcaneal osteotomy or a lateral ligament reconstruction *at the same time* as the joint replacement to ensure the new metal-and-plastic joint is perfectly balanced.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does this book cover ankle fusions?
Only in the context of revising a failed replacement. The entire focus is on motion-preserving *replacement* technology.
Who is the primary audience?
It is the absolute, mandatory surgical atlas for Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgeons and advanced Surgical Fellows.
