What is arthrodesis?

Arthrodesis is a surgical procedure done to encourage the bones to grow together, thereby making movement in the joint impossible. Sometimes it is not possible to replace a diseased joint. If pain is especially severe and the use of the joint is already seriously impaired, the patient might consider arthrodesis to eliminate the pain.

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Arthrodesis is a type of surgery that joins (fuses) 2 bones in a diseased joint so that the joint can no longer move. It may be done when pain and disability or instability from a diseased joint can no longer be managed with medicines, splints, and other methods.

The surgery may be done on joints such as the fingers, knees, ankles, or spine. Depending on the joint and the particular disease the person has, different methods of doing arthrodesis are possible. For example:

• Bone from elsewhere in the person's body or from a bone bank can be used to make a "bridge" between the bones and to stimulate growth of new bone.
• Metal implants may be secured to the bones to hold them together until new bone grows to complete the fusion. Depending on the joint, these procedures may have high complication rates.

In arthrodesis (bone fusion) surgery, your surgeon removes the cartilage of a joint and uses pins, screws, or plates to rigidly bind together the two bones that made up the joint. As the bones heal, they grow together as one bone. Arthrodesis is quite effective at reducing the pain of arthritis, but you won't be able to move the joint afterward.