Abstract
The purpose of this study was to report both the radiographic and functional outcomes
of patients undergoing knee arthrodesis with the Wichita Fusion Nail (WFN) within
the Republic of Ireland and compare the results to existing literature. Patient charts
and radiographs were reviewed on all patients who had a WFN implanted in Ireland to
date. Patients were invited to complete a Western Ontario and McMaster Universities
Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score as a functional assessment. Twenty-three patients
were identified. Patients had an average of 8 (range: 0–26) knee surgeries prior to
arthrodesis. The most common indication was failed arthroplasty due to recalcitrant
infection (69.5%). Successful fusion occurred in 60.8% of patients. The mean time
to fusion was 9.21 months. The mean WOMAC score was 58.55 with a range of 31 to 96.
We found a rate of arthrodesis lower than that reported in other published series.
However, the rate of major complications was comparable to those published previously,
reflecting the often-challenging patient cohort. Our study shows that the WFN should
not be viewed as a near-universally successful option to salvage an unreconstructable
knee.
Keywords
arthrodesis - knee arthroplasty - fusion - Wichita Fusion Nail
