Abstract
Although ankle arthritis is a relatively common diagnosis, few patients develop debilitating cases requiring surgical intervention. For certain cases, surgeons often perform a fibular osteotomy and tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis via an intramedullary nail. We present a unique case in which the patient received a carbon fiber intramedullary nail rather for persistent ankle pain, arthritis, and instability. The patient has seven years of radiographic and clinical follow-up, which is one of the longest follow-up intervals for this type of implant. This long-term follow-up case illustrates the efficacy and safety of the carbon fiber intramedullary implant and highlights the scarcity of literature on long-term clinical and radiographic outcomes following a tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis with a carbon fiber intramedullary nail. Additionally, it provides the impetus for more comprehensive long-term studies regarding carbon fiber implants in the future.