An observational study in Avascular Necrosis of the Talus, sponsored by Kyle Schweser MD. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-28.
Sponsored by Kyle Schweser MD · Observational
Avascular necrosis of the talus is a difficult problem to manage, especially in the young and healthy. The only option, historically, has been a talectomy and hindfoot fusion. While this is a viable option, it is not without its morbidity. Arthritis of surrounding joints is common, occurring anywhere from 1-10 years after the procedure. This is especially true in younger patients, where loss of motion can be life altering both physically and mentally. The search for alternatives has been limited. Recently, 3D printing has become more ubiquitous and affordable and newer medical alternatives have arisen thanks to this technology. The 3D custom talus is relatively new in the orthopaedic community, but has been used at several centers with good success. It has been shown to re-establish the normal alignment of the foot, preserve motion (with some achieving almost physiologic motion), and allow for almost normal ambulation. However, the data is still limited and further study is necessary. Our facility was recently approved to perform this procedure. Our hypothesis is that custom 3D printed talar body replacements, either used alone or with total ankle replacements, will maintain physiologic motion, have no difference in complications when compared to hindfoot fusions with allograft, lead to good outcome scores and patient satisfaction scores. Patients diagnosed with avascular necrosis of the talus who have already decided to undergo a procedure involving a 3D custom talus as part of their standard care (talar replacement, total ankle/total talus, etc) will be enrolled in the study. Patients will follow standard post-operative protocols and return to clinic at designated time periods (2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year). X-ray evaluation, Range of motion, return to ambulation, walking speed and patient reported outcomes will be evaluated at each visit. Data will then be compared with baseline measurements and use to determine the progression of patients over time after the procedure
After patients have undergone a standard of care 3D talar augment procedure they will return to clinic at designated time periods (2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year). X-rays performed as standard of care will be evaluated. Walking speed will be assessed after patient is allowed to bear weight at the same designated time periods reported above. Patients will also answer questions regarding pain (VAS survey), satisfaction (SSQ-8 survey), outcomes utilizing AAOS foot and ankle scores (survey), and self-reported return to unassisted ambulation. Goniometer measurements will be taken in the clinic at all post-operative visits to determine ROM
Kyle Schweser MD is the lead sponsor of 3 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Patients over 18 years of age diagnosed with avascular necrosis of the talar body and amenable to treatment with 3D custom augmentation
Exclusion Criteria:
Patients that will undergo a 3D custom talar augment
Device: 3D talar augmentation
Patients with an avascular necrosis of the body if the talar bone will undergo a 3D custom talar augmentation with or without concomitant ankle arthroplasty
Change Range of motion
Measures with a Goniometer and expressed in degrees
Time frame: 12 months
Change in VAS pain Score
The visual analog scale (VAS) is a validated, subjective measure for acute and chronic pain. Scores are recorded by making a handwritten mark on a 10-cm line that represents a continuum between "no pain" and "worst pain."
Time frame: 12 months
Change in AAOS foot an ankle score
The AAOS foot and ankle questionnaire is a patient-administrated 25-item survey specifically developed for foot and ankle-related disability. The questionnaire is divided into two scales, the Foot and Ankle Core scale, comprised of 20 questions and the Shoe Comfort Scale with five questions. The questions themselves are distributed among five different categories: Pain (9 items), function (6 items), stiffness and swelling (2 items), giving way (3 items) and shoe comfort (5 items). Answers are then measured on a scale of 1 to 5 or 6, with 1 being the best outcome score.
Time frame: 12 months
SSQ-8 satisfaction score
the SSQ-8 (Surgical Satisfaction Score) is a Patient administered 8-item survey designed to asses satisfaction after a surgical procedure. Answers are then measured on a scale of 1 to 5 or 6, with 1 being the best outcome score.
Time frame: 12 months
Change in walking speed
Speed will be measured in seconds over a standard distance
Time frame: 12 months
Plan to share: No — The Investigator will maintain all study records according to applicable University regulatory requirement(s). Hard copy records will be retained for at least 7 years after the last clinic follow-up visit at the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute in a locked filing cabinet. Electronic records will be retained for the same amount of time but on secured computers and servers. If the Investigator withdraws from the responsibility of keeping the study records, custody will be transferred to a person willing to accept the responsibility.
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Kyle Schweser MD