Comparison of Magnesium Versus Titanium Screw Fixation for Biplane Chevron Medial Malleolar Osteotomy in the Treatment of Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus
Background and objectives: The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the clinical and radiological outcomes of patients who underwent biplane chevron medial malleolar osteotomy (MMO) for osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT), fixed with either magnesium (Mg) or titanium (Ti) screws. Materials and Methods: A total of 22 patients (12 male, 10 female) with a mean age of 40.6±12.5 years (range, 18-56 years) who underwent MMO for OLT treatment were included in this retrospective study. Of the 22 patients, MMO was fixed with bioabsorbable Mg screws (Alloy: MgYREZr) in 11 patients, and in the remaining 11 patients (one bilateral) MMO were fixed with Ti screws. All patients were followed up for at least one year with a mean of 20.7±8.9 months (range, 12–49 months). The American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scale and the visual analog scale (VAS) were used to evaluate the clinical results. Union of the osteotomy, postoperative displacement, and all other complications were followed and analyzed. Results: An improvement in the AOFAS scale and VAS points were recorded in both groups with no statistically significant difference between the groups (p: 0.079 and 0.107 respectively). Complete union of the osteotomy was obtained in all patients. One patient in the Ti group required implant removal due to pain and irritation. There were no other significant complications in either group. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that bioabsorbable Mg compression screws have similar therapeutic efficacy to Ti screws in respect to functional and radiological outcomes in MMO fixation. Bioabsorbable Mg screw is an alternative fixation material which can be safely used for MMO in ankle surgery.