Triple Arthrodesis (Fusion of three joints)
Arthrodesis is the medical term for fusion, an operation where the cartilage in the joint space is removed and the involved bones are held together with screws so that they heal into one bone.
"Triple” refers to three joints being fused. These three joints are involved in the side to side motion of the foot, and less with the up and down motion. The fusion is done to effectively glue bones together, to alleviate pain from arthritis in those joints, or to correct a deformity of the arch of the foot, or correct some other instability (abnormal motion).
The joint spaces are difficult to see as the bones have grown together.
This fusion operation helps convert arthritic or unstable joints into stable, less painful joints. However, usually there is the price to pay of loss of motion (more stress on adjacent joints).