Complications
The blood supply to the talus is provided by several small vessels lying in a narrow space. These can be easily injured by dislocations. This is one of the reasons why the risk of osteonecrosis (death of the bone) is very high in the case of a talus fracture.
For Hawkins I, the risk is about 10%, while Hawkins 4 already has a risk rate of 80-100%. Further complications are the development of arthroses in the upper and lower ankle joint. Since the talus consists largely of joint surfaces, the probability of a fracture damaging a joint surface and thus cartilage is very high.
At the damaged cartilage, the wear and tear in the joint is significantly increased and the development of arthrosis is more likely. Furthermore, a talus fracture can lead to tarsal tunnel syndrome. This is a bottleneck that compresses nerves running along the foot and restricts their function – this often manifests itself in a numbness on the soles of the feet.