Good pain relief with successful fusion Deformity correction History of infection, poor skin envelope Permanent (no need for future revision) CONS. Ankle arthrodesis continues to be the golden standard in the treatment of end-stage ankle arthritis. Nonunion risk Ankle Arthrodesis – a Review of Current Techniques and Results. The most common treatment for end-stage ankle arthritis (ESAA) is either ankle arthrodesis or ankle arthroplasty The surgical goal of ankle arthrodesis is to obtain bony un