Partial Tarsal Arthrodesis Plate

Partial Tarsal Arthrodesis Plate

Where the tibio-tarsal joint can be preserved, partial tarsal arthrodesis is preferred to pantarsal arthrodesis, allowing a near normal range of motion to be maintained.
Hybrid plates are very helpful in permitting larger diameter screws to be used in the calcaneous and smaller diameter screws to be used in the metatarsals. Hybridisation is also helpful for thinning the plates distally, aiding closure of soft tissues. Many of the early intertarsal arthrodesis plates were modified pancarpal plates with length  adjustments made to squeeze them onto the lateral aspect of the limb. For most patients, the use of modified pancarpal plates results in suboptimal screw placement with the biggest criticism being that the spacing of the holes for engaging the fourth tarsal bone and the proximal metatarsal bone was too great. Site specific plates provide a very much better fit. Veterinary Instrumentations' partial tarsal plates all now have a rounded proximal end to limit damage to overlying soft tissues.