Biomechanical comparison of stability of tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis with two different intramedullary retrograde nails.

Background: The aim of the study was to compare the initial construct stability of two retrograde intramedullary nail systems for tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis (TTCF) (A3, Small Bone Innovations; HAN, Synthes) in a biomechanical cadaver study.

Methods: Nine pairs of human cadaver bones were instrumented with two different retrograde nail systems. One tibia from each pair was randomized to either rod.