Pseudoelastic intramedullary nailing for tibio-talo-calcaneal arthrodesis.

Journal Article (Journal Article)

Tibio-talo-calcaneal (TTC) arthrodesis is a procedure to treat severe ankle arthropathy by providing a pain-free and stable fusion. Intramedullary (IM) nails offer a method of internal fixation for TTC arthrodesis by providing compressive stability, as well as shear and torsional rigidity. IM nails have been developed to apply compression to the TTC complex during installation; however, current designs are highly susceptible to a loss of compression when exposed to small amounts of bone resorption and cyclic loading. Nickel titanium (NiTi) is a shape-memory alloy capable of recovering large amounts of deformation via shape-memory or pseudoelasticity. Currently, the next generation of IM nails is being developed to utilize the adaptive, pseudoelastic properties of NiTi and provide a fusion nail that is resistant to loss of compression or loosening. Specifically, the pseudoelastic IM nail contains an internal NiTi compression element that applies sustained compression during the course of fusion, analogous to external fixators.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Yakacki, CM; Gall, K; Dirschl, DR; Pacaccio, DJ

Published Date

  • March 2011

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 8 / 2

Start / End Page

  • 159 - 166

PubMed ID

  • 21381909

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1745-2422

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1743-4440

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1586/erd.10.93

Language

  • eng