The late results of arthrodesis of the foot.

This paper is an attempt to assess the late results of arthrodesis in the foot as a method of treatment for various types of muscular imbalance or paralysis. The patient who has had an operation upon his foot will judge the result by the uses to which he can put it. The appearance of the foot is certainly important, particularly to a woman ; but the foot that is painless, that will allow him to do his work, that will stand up to many miles across rough country and that will allow him to join in the pursuits and pastimes of his friends, is the foot the patient considers the best. It is on these points that we have attempted to assess the late results in our cases. Certain illustrative cases will be described and an attempt made to discover the cause of the failures. Most of these operations are performed in children or young adults ; and the stabilised foot must therefore last a lifetime. Short periods of observation after operation are of little use and one would like to analyse a series in which all the operations were done at least fifty years before. However, these operations have not been in vogue for a sufficient length of time, and we have had to be satisfied with patients who were operated upon from thirteen to twenty years ago. CLINICAL MATERIAL