Astragalus fracture and dislocation are common injuries of the foot. Their prognosis is not very favorable. It is essential to understand the injury mechanism and anatomy to achieve satisfactory treatment outcomes.

bubble_chart Etiology

Fractures of the talar body are mostly caused by falls from heights or direct violent impacts. The talar body can fracture in the transverse plane or form longitudinal split fractures. The fractures may appear linear, stellate, or comminuted. Fractures of the talar body often involve the ankle joint and subtalar joint. Even with minimal displacement, they can lead to step-like deformities in these joints, ultimately resulting in traumatic arthritis. Therefore, the prognosis for talar body fractures is worse than that for talar neck fractures.

bubble_chart Treatment Measures

For non-displaced fractures, immobilization with a cast until bone healing is sufficient. For displaced fractures, open reduction and secure internal fixation with screws are often required. It is generally believed that even if the fracture is reduced, achieving a good, pain-free range of motion is difficult. Therefore, for comminuted fractures or cases with signs of progressive avascular necrosis, tibiotalar and subtalar arthrodesis may be performed.

bubble_chart Complications

Traumatic arthritis