Arthroscopy combined with bone tunnel technique for treating Berndt and Harty stage III or IV osteochondral lesions of the talus.

Purpose: To explore the efficacy and feasibility of arthroscopy combined with bone tunnel technique in treating Berndt and Harty stage III or IV osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 21 patients with Berndt and Harty stage III or IV OLT who underwent surgical treatment at our institution from September 2017 to September 2022. Under arthroscopy, the displaced talar osteochondral lesion was restored. A 2.0 mm Kirschner wire (K-wire) was used to create a bone tunnel from the medial (or lateral) malleolus to the realigned osteochondral lesion. A 1.5 mm K-wire was then used to drill through this tunnel into the osteochondral fragment, and a 1.5 mm absorbable bone rod was inserted for fixation. Preoperative and final follow-up visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scale were recorded and compared.

Results: All 21 patients were followed up for an average of 23.95 ± 6.01 months. All wounds healed by primary intention, with no nerve, blood vessel, or tendon injuries. All osteochondral lesions healed, with an average healing time of 3.71 ± 0.62 months. The VAS score decreased from a preoperative average of 5.38 ± 0.59 to 0.48 ± 0.51 at the final follow-up. The AOFAS ankle-hindfoot scale increased from a preoperative average of 56.29 ± 5.98 to 88.43 ± 2.68 at the final follow-up (P < 0.05), showing statistically significant differences. Two cases experienced medial pain after 12 months, which was tolerable with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Conclusion: Arthroscopy combined with bone tunnel technique for treating Berndt and Harty stage III or IV OLT has the advantages of minimal injury, visualization of fracture reduction, and fewer complications.