Total (3D) Talus Replacement in EU or USA

Dear All,

I am from Europe, and I had a talus injury at the end of august 2020.

Now I had an MR control on 2020-11-05: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lVTqxANfYe-dVFCafSR0sF_Wo-HXexyu?usp=sharing

It looks like I going to have no good outcome. I read and seen videos about the 3D talus replacement surgery. (eg.: https://www.lrsimplants.com/post/lrs-helps-two-patients-in-israel-total-talus )

- Can anybody please help me if there are any hospital in the EU (european union), where have total (3d) talus replacement surgery?

- What is the price of the surgery in the USA or EU and in which hospital(s) and what is the price of the 3d printed talus bone? (I have no insurance in the USA)

Or do somebody has other idea what can be the next step if i would like to hold all of my ankle function? 

You can write me here or can send me e-mail as well: 3d.talus.szim@gmail.com

I started to collect hospitals here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kfPJM0kkL5MZZSG7njkookpshQlvNMWLftBf4RZMCK8/edit?usp=sharing

Thank you for your help in advance,

Marcell

Hello! I’m deeply sorry to hear about that injury and can only imagine the pain. In the US, I don’t know of many hospitals that perform the surgery here yet. However MUSC in South Carolina does I believe. The cost without insurance can have a wide range but according to an article I’ll link below, it will be about $14,000 USD. Wishing you the best!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6178937/

Thank You For the answer Ryan!

I read the article, and I think this price cover just the 3D printed Talus. I would like to know the approximate price of the surgery as well. If you have information about the price of the surgery too, please inform me!

Thank You very much!

Hello Istvan Marcell, I am curious if you found any clinic for your 3D talus replacement? What is your current situation? I am desperate seach for helping my son who had a bad accident 28th September. Both ankles damaged and doctors in Norway think that fusion is the only way forward.  They have no experience with ankle replacement... Brgds Stale 

Stale Finsrud wrote:

Hello Istvan Marcell, I am curious if you found any clinic for your 3D talus replacement? What is your current situation? I am desperate seach for helping my son who had a bad accident 28th September. Both ankles damaged and doctors in Norway think that fusion is the only way forward.  They have no experience with ankle replacement... Brgds Stale 

Hello Stale,

Fortunately I did not need replacement this surgery.

Let me tell my story briefly.

I read very much articles on the internet and asked 5 doctors. There were doctor who offered fusion surgery for me, but I did not accepted. I went to the next and the next doctor.

Finally I was non-weight-bearing for 8 month (from 2020 aug to 2021 march). After that I started to walk just approximately ~ 250 step a day. First I went back to work in 2021 juni. 

I used an "iwalk 2.0" for this 8 month (link: Iwalk 2.0) because the normal crutches made me serious hip pain after 2 months.

I took vitamins: Calcium, Magnesium, Chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine sulfate, Hyaluron, Bovine collagen peptide, methylsulfonylmethane

A physio therapist visited me once a week, and I did the exercises continuously the rest of the week.

...So it was long time, but now I can live without surgery, and I can walk without any auxiliary device and without pain. 

If I stay too tuch in one position or walks too much 15000+ steps it freezes my ankle for a day.

Last time I seen the doctor in 2022 apr. He said the result I achieved is due to my accurate attitude.

As I read that time, if this injury will have a good outcome or not depends on the degree of injury (my talus only broke into two pieces but developed AVN on the top of the talus and this injury was accompanied by a fracture of the outer tip of the ankle)

and depends on the regeneration / revascularisation ability of the talus bone. (Revascularisation depends on the age of the patient as I know) 

When I decided to not allow surgeries, and start non weight bearing, I checked this statistics too: Link: Stat

It says to me that the outcome can be ok in a conservative way too.

I don't know the extent of his injury, so I don't want to give you false hopes, it is obvious that there is a degree of damage where "my method" is no longer effective, but please look deep into the topic before making a decision.

Infos and Pictures I posted : Talus fracture and partial displacement, healing advice and support (mountainproject.com)