Concerns about complications can consume a significant time of the health care providers. In surgical disciplines, seemingly minor complications are a major frustration and concern for both general practitioners and patients. The main goal in developing surgical technologies and techniques is to improve patient care quality, and reduce complications. Successful management of surgical complications requires a thorough understanding of the pathology, and the ability to provide effective treatment to maintain patient confidence. Non-union is a complicated surgical complication in which there is no healing between the two opposing bone surfaces. In various anatomic regions of the lower extremity it has been found that the tendency to nonunion is relatively high. Non-union of tibial shaft fractures may occur in 10–60% of cases. Up to 10% non-unions have been reported after hindfoot arthrodesis and ankle arthrodesis; this ratio varies between 6–33% in triple arthrodesis. Arthrodeses of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTF) and the first tarsometatarsal joint (TMT) are less than 10% of the incidences of arthrodesis. Surgical non-union is not uncommon in the foot and ankle. For this reason, surgeons should have a relatively high level of suspicion, particularly in situations that tend to have predisposition to non-union.