Ankle arthrodesis in the presence of ongoing sepsis. Indications, methods, and results.

The prognosis for ankle arthrodeses performed in the presence of chronic joint sepsis is addressed. The described methods afford reliable and highly successful results, even in cases with massive hard- and soft-tissue deficits. An ankle fusion can be reliably accomplished in the presence of wound contamination, inadequate bone stock, and an ischemic soft-tissue envelope. The methods used must be tailored to the anatomic extent of disease, the physiologic condition of the host, and institutional resources.