There are many insurance carriers such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield®, Aetna®, and United Health Care® who refuse to reimburse surgeons and surgical facilities to perform the EOTTS procedure. They claim there is “lack of evidence” to support the effectiveness of this internal, minimally invasive procedure. The reality is, of course, quite different. The EOTTS procedure is approved for use in more than 60 countries and is routinely performed by leading orthopedic and podiatric foot surgeons around the world.

What is EOTTS?

Extra-osseous talotarsal stabilization is a very important surgical procedure where an FDA cleared orthopedic, internal fixation device (stent/implant) is inserted into a naturally occurring space (called the sinus tarsi). This soft tissue procedure realigns and stabilizes arguably the most important weightbearing joint complex of the lower extremity, while still allowing a normal range of motion.

EOTTS Advantages:

Of importance is the fact that EOTTS is a procedure that does not involve cutting and/or shifting of any bones. It does not have a negative impact on the very important joints of the hindfoot. In fact, the EOTTS procedure should reverse or delay arthritic damage caused to joints due to the partial dislocation of the talotarsal joint (ankle bone on the heel and navicular bones).

There are many advantages of EOTTS over other forms of “treatment” of talotarsal joint dislocation. EOTTS can be used as a “stand-alone procedure”, meaning there are situations where the only form of treatment required is EOTTS. It can also be used in conjunction with both external measures, or other along with other surgical procedures to correct co-foot/ankle deformities.

The EOTTS procedure can be performed on both children and adults. EOTTS recipients can walk, run, perform any activity of their choice, once the tissues have recovered from the initial procedure. The muscles, ligaments, and tendons will work more efficiently. Patients claim to run faster and jump higher due to their realigned talotarsal joint.

One of the many other advantages of this procedure is that it is reversible. This is very important when compared to other surgical procedures where tendons are sacrificed, bones are cut and shifted, or joints are fused to eliminate motion. EOTTS is the only reversible surgical procedure that can realign and stabilize the talotarsal joint.

Primary Indication of EOTTS:

There is only one indication that a surgeon would recommend EOTTS to a patient and that is when the surgeon has diagnosed the patient with a recurrent talotarsal joint dislocation.

There are clear, validated clinical and radiologic measurements that are used to diagnose this orthopedic deformity.

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