Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the ankle is a rare and potentially debilitating condition that causes pain and limited movement of the ankle joint. In some cases, amputation of the leg becomes necessary. AVN is caused by a sudden injury like a fractured bone or dislocated joint or a chronic injury that develops over time, diminishing the blood supply to bone tissue, leading to bone necrosis. In an ankle joint, the AVN can deteriorate the cartilage, causing pain and arthritis .
The talus bone may partially or totally collapse in the late-stage AVN of the ankle. The current treatment strategies are fusion of the foot and ankle joints (which relieves the pain but may limit the motion in the joint) or amputation below the knee. The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has recently approved the patient-specific talus spacer , a 3D-printed talus implant, for humanitarian use . It is the…
