Share this article Share this article SILVER SPRING, Md., Feb. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Patient Specific Talus Spacer 3D-printed talus implant for humanitarian use. The Patient Specific Talus Spacer is the first in the world and first-of-its-kind implant to replace the talus—the bone in the ankle joint that connects the leg and the foot—for the treatment of avascular necrosis (AVN) of the ankle joint, a serious and progressive condition that causes the death of bone tissue stemming from a lack of blood supply to the area. The implant provides a joint-sparing alternative to other surgical interventions commonly used in late-stage AVN that may disable motion of the ankle joint.