Fusion of Charcot's joints has been a relatively difficult problem to the orthopaedic surgeon. We attempted to fuse a tabetic knee of a woman aged 64 by compression osteosynthesis using two A-O plates, and succeeded to obtain a complete fusion of the knee. The plates used were long straight ones each having 10 screw holes.
The period of immobilization in a plaster cast was about two months. In serial roentgenograms we could find how the bone trabeculae gradually passed through the compression surface. The roentgenograms taken after fourteen months suggested the complete successful union, so we removed the plates and screws.
The union was complete and solid on the time of removal operation. We were able to find the compression surface neither in gross findings nor histological findings. The continuity of lamellar bone through the fused surface was proven by both histological and micro-radiographical techniques.
