Osteonecrosis of the talus

Abstract

Osteonecrosis of the talus (ONT) refers to the death of osteocytes and subsequent structural changes leading to talus collapse and secondary ankle joint osteoarthritis. ONT is a rarer disease than osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH); however it is a signifi cant clinical challenge with an uncertain long-term prognosis [ 1, 2 ]. In this chapter, we review osteonecrosis of the talus, describing incidence and etiology, blood supply, clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging, classifi cation, and treatment.