Arthroscopic Ankle Arthrodesis in Post-Traumatic Ankle Arthritis with Compromised Soft Tissue: A Case Report

Introduction: The most common surgical treatment for end-stage ankle arthritis remains ankle arthrodesis. Dealing with the site of an incision in the ankle with poor soft tissue condition poses a challenge. The procedure of choice in cases of poor soft tissue condition around the ankle following an open ankle fracture remains questionable. This report presents a case of post-traumatic ankle arthritis with compromised soft tissue status. The patient was managed with arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis, taking into account the condition of the soft tissue. Case Report: A 25-year-old presented with advanced arthritis in the right ankle and compromised soft tissue condition. Arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis was performed, taking into account the poor soft tissue condition, where the soft tissue healing after the incision is expected to be poor, and sutures of the arthroscopic portal site were removed at the two-week follow-up, after adequate healing of the surgical site. Conclusion: Arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis is a preferred procedure for post-traumatic ankle arthritis with compromised soft tissue. However, in cases of ankle arthritis associated with gross deformity requiring ankle arthrodesis and additional deformity correction, open ankle arthrodesis may be superior to arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis.