Fifty-one patients with fracture of the body of the talus were seen at follow-up examination an average of 23 months after treatment. Osteonecrosis had developed in 8 out of 17 patients with displaced shearing or crush fractures of the trochlea. Malunion as well as subluxation predisposed to osteoarthrosis in the subtalar and talocrural joints. Thus, osteoarthrosis was present in 9 out of 21 patients without malunion, in 8 out of 16 patients with malunion, and in 11 out of 14 with malunion as well as subluxation. Judging from the nature of the complaints, the difficulties in rehabilitation, and the disability assessment, the prognosis was fairly grave, also after the small, usually non-displaced fractures of the posterior and lateral tubercles. Out of 20 patients with fractures of this type only 6 obtained almost complete relief from their symptoms, only 8 could go back to their previous work on a full-time basis, and 11 were assessed to be 10 per cent or more disabled. Fractures in the posterior and lateral tubercles must therefore be interpreted as links in more extensive injuries involving the subtalar joint and possibly the talocrural joint with associated injuries to articular cartilage, joint capsules, and ligaments.

One hundred and twenty-three patients with fracture of the neck of the talus were followed up over an average of 22 months. Ffity-four fractures were undisplaced, 53 associated with subtaler dislocation, and 16 associated with dislocation of the talus in both ankle joint and subtalar joint. Of the total 123 patients, 21% (26/123) developed avascular necrosis, 31% (38/123) developed talo-crural and 47% (58/123) subtalar osteoarthrosis. Fifteen per cent (18/123) of the fractures united with considerable deformity, and four per cent (5/123) exhibited non-union of the neck. Out of 63 patients with isolated fracture of the neck of the talus, 65% (41/63) reported moderate or severe complaints, and 52% (33/63) complained of functional disability often resulting in a change to lighter work. Even among the 54 undisplaced cases there were unexpected numbers of late sequelae, such as osteoarthrosis, subjective complaints and disablement.

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