A large number of patients with severe, complicated fractures of the ankle and foot returned from overseas to Valley Forge General Hospital. The reconstructive bone surgery on these cases was interesting and instructive, but often it was only one phase of rehabilitation. Surgery itself could meet the following structural demands: restoration of bone defects by grafts, correction of malalignments by osteotomies, and elimination of painful joints by fusion. The final results were difficult to classify and compare, except on an individual basis. The general impression was that they were satisfactory, considering the severity of the injuries.