Resurfacing of the talus

Derek McMinn is most famous in the UK for his work on hip joint resurfacing. I am wondering if anyone has had any first hand experience in a client who has had a resurfacing of the talus. The goal of ankle replacement is to resurface the ankle joint with mechanical parts that allow continued ankle motion and function without pain.

I saw this in the literature as an option about 5 years ago, unfortunately about 4 weeks after one of my clients had an ankle arthrodesis (fusion). Any input or directions to surgeons currently performing the technique successfully would be a great assistance.

Foot note: An ankle arthrodesis is an operation that glues together or fuses the ankle joint. The ankle joint is responsible for more than 75% of the up and down movement of the ankle. With the ankle fused, no further upward movement is present but a limited amount of downward movement is possible. The in and out movement of the heel joint is not affected by an ankle fusion.




:o