Vascularized Bone Graft for Avascular Necrosis of the Talus

This surgery treats a problem with the talus. That's a bone in the lower part of your ankle joint. The surgery removes and replaces bone tissue damaged by a problem called "avascular necrosis."

Preparation

To begin, we give you medicine to put you to sleep. We make an incision to reach your ankle joint. We expose the talus and drill a hole to clear out the unhealthy bone.

Decompression

Now we need to create a bone graft to fill this space. To do this, we carefully free a healthy section of bone from somewhere else in your body. Along with this bone, we take part of the artery that nourishes it. Now, we place this graft into the open space in your talus. We may pack more graft material around it. We reconnect the artery so that blood flows to the area. This helps heathy new bone grow, strengthening the talus.

End of procedure

When the surgery is done, the incision is closed. You're watched in a recovery room for a brief time. Follow your surgeon's tips as you heal.

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.