Long-term Functional Results of Total Ankle Arthroplasty in Stiff Ankles

2021 ◽  
pp. 107110072097784
Author(s):  
James W. Brodsky ◽  
David Jaffe ◽  
Andrew Pao ◽  
David Vier ◽  
Akira Taniguchi ◽  
...  

Background: Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is advocated over ankle arthrodesis to preserve ankle motion (ROM). Clinical and gait analysis studies have shown significant improvement after TAA. The role and outcomes of TAA in stiff ankles, which have little motion to be preserved, has been the subject of limited investigation. This investigation evaluated the mid- to long-term functional outcomes of TAA in stiff ankles. Methods: A retrospective study of prospectively collected functional gait data in 33 TAA patients at a mean of 7.6 (5-13) years postoperatively used 1-way analysis of variance and multivariate regression analysis to compare among preoperative and postoperative demographic data (age, gender, body mass index, years postsurgery, and diagnosis) and gait parameters according to quartiles of preoperative sagittal ROM. Results: The stiffest ankles had a mean ROM of 7.8 degrees, compared to 14.3 degrees for the middle 2 quartiles, and 21.0 degrees for the most flexible ankles. Patients in the lowest quartile (Q1) also had statistically significantly lower step length, speed, max plantarflexion, and power preoperatively. Postoperatively, they increased step length, speed, max plantarflexion, and ankle power to levels comparable to patients with more flexible ankles preoperatively (Q2, Q3, and Q4). They had the greatest absolute and relative increases in these parameters of any group, but the final total ROM was still statistically significantly the lowest. Conclusion: Preoperative ROM was predictive of overall postoperative gait function at an average of 7.6 (range 5-13) years. Although greater preoperative sagittal ROM predicted greater postoperative ROM, the stiffest ankles showed the greatest percentage increase in ROM. Patients with the stiffest ankles had the greatest absolute and relative improvements in objective function after TAA, as measured by multiple gait parameters. At intermediate- to long-term follow-up, patients with stiff ankles maintained significant functional improvements after TAA. Level of Evidence: Level III, comparative study.

2020 ◽  
pp. 107110072095514
Author(s):  
Roxa Ruiz ◽  
Nicola Krähenbühl ◽  
Roman Susdorf ◽  
Tamara Horn-Lang ◽  
Alexej Barg ◽  
...  

Background: Although surgeons have argued that preserving motion at the level of the ankle joint may be crucial for the long-term success in the treatment of end-stage ankle osteoarthritis, there is little evidence regarding the potential of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) to increase ankle range of motion (ROM). In addition, the effect of a percutaneous heel cord lengthening (HCL) during TAA on ankle motion is poorly understood. Methods: A total of 357 primary TAAs treated with a 3-component device (336 patients, mean age 62.6 [24-85] years) performed between May 2003 and November 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Sagittal ankle ROM was assessed according to a previously published protocol preoperatively (PreOP), 1 year postoperatively (PostOP), and at the last available follow-up (LastFU). Pain assessed on a visual analog scale (VAS) was assessed at the same time points. The effect of a percutaneous HCL on ankle ROM and VAS for pain was also evaluated. Results: Preoperative ankle ROM increased from mean 31.3 (0-69) to 33.9 (5-65) degrees 1 year postoperatively ( P = .0002) and decreased to 31.9 (5-70) degrees at the LastFU ( P = .007). Percutaneous HCL showed no effect on ankle ROM development after TAA ( P = .141). Ankle ROM improvement after TAA (PreOP to LastFU) was higher in ankles with lower preoperative ankle motion ( P < .0001). A lower ankle ROM at the last follow-up tended to be associated with a higher pain level ( P = .056). Conclusion: Although ankles with a lower preoperative sagittal ROM gained motion, the current data suggest that TAA has little potential to increase the preoperative available ankle motion. In some patients with a high preoperative ankle ROM, a slight decrease of ankle motion was observed postoperatively. Patients with limited ankle motion at long-term follow-up tended toward experiencing higher pain levels. The short- and long-term effect of a percutaneous HCL on ankle ROM following TAA was minimal. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective comparative series.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 2473011419S0001
Author(s):  
James W. Brodsky ◽  
Justin M. Kane ◽  
Andrew W. Pao ◽  
David D. Vier ◽  
Scott Coleman ◽  
...  

Category: Ankle, Ankle Arthritis Introduction/Purpose: Operative treatment of end-stage ankle arthritis involves either ankle arthrodesis (AA) or total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). The theoretical benefit of TAA is the ability to preserve range of motion (ROM) at the tibiotalar joint. Previous studies have questioned whether it is justified to perform TAA over AA in stiff, arthritic ankles. However, a recent study showed that patients who underwent TAA with stiff ankles preoperatively experienced significant clinical improvement in range of motion and gait function compared to more flexible groups at 1-year follow-up. We retrospectively assessed these same gait and functional parameters to see if these improvements held up in long-term follow-up. Methods: A retrospective study of long-term, prospectively collected functional gait data in 33 TAA patients at a mean of 7.6 years postoperatively (range 4.8-13.3) used a multivariate regression model to determine the effect of ankle stiffness on the long- term, objective outcomes of TAA. Data was analyzed by quartiles (Q1, Q2+Q3, Q4) of preoperative sagittal ROM using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare both preop and postop gait parameters. The two middle quartiles were combined to conform to distribution of the data. The multivariate analysis determined the independent effect of age, gender, BMI, years post- surgery, and preop ROM on every preop and postop parameter of gait. Results: Statistically significant differences were found in all three gait parameter categories, including temporal-spatial (step length and walking speed), kinematic (total sagittal ROM and maximum plantarflexion), and kinetic (peak ankle power). The stiffest ankles preoperatively (Q1) had the greatest absolute increase in total sagittal ROM postoperatively, +5.3o, compared to -1.3o (p<0.0174) in Q4 (most flexible). However, Q1 had the lowest absolute total postoperative sagittal ROM of 13.1 o, compared to 19.7 o (p<0.0108) in Q4. Q1 also had the lowest preoperative step length, walking speed, maximal plantarflexion, and peak ankle power when compared to the other subgroups. There was no difference in any of these same parameters postoperatively. BMI and years post-surgery had no effect on outcomes, while age and gender had a minimal effect. Conclusion: Preoperative range of motion was once again predictive of overall postoperative gait function in long-term follow-up at an average of 7.2 years. A greater degree of preoperative sagittal range of motion was predictive of greater postoperative sagittal range of motion in long-term follow-up. Patients with the stiffest ankles preoperatively once again had a statistically and clinically greater improvement in function as measured by multiple parameters of gait. This shows that the clinically meaningful improvement in gait function after total ankle arthroplasty holds up in long-term follow-up, even in the setting of limited preoperative sagittal range of motion.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 2473011420S0014
Author(s):  
James W. Brodsky ◽  
Daniel J. Scott ◽  
Samuel E. Ford ◽  
Scott Coleman ◽  
Yahya Daoud

Category: Ankle; Ankle Arthritis; Hindfoot Introduction/Purpose: In vivo gait analysis is the objective functional measurement compared to subjective patient-reported outcomes. Intermediate-term gait studies showed positive results of Total Ankle Arthroplasty (TAA). To date, there are no published Long-Term functional outcomes of TAA. Methods: Three-dimensional gait analysis with twelve-camera digital-motion capture system and double force plates recorded temporal-spatial (TS), kinematic (KM), and kinetic (KN) measures, in 33 patients who had STAR (28) or Salto Talaris (5) TAA, done pre-operatively and at intervals post-operatively, with last testing at a mean of 7.6 years. Almost half the patients had 8-13 year follow up. Results: Improvements were found in multiple gait parameters, with TS increases in cadence, (+9.5 steps/min; P <0.001), step length (+4.4 cm; P = 0.001) and walking speed (+0.2 m/s; P<0.001), KM increases in total ROM (+2.0 deg; P = 0.026), plantarflexion at initial contact (+2.7 deg; P=0.004), and maximum plantarflexion (+2.0 deg; P=0.049), and KN analysis showed no loss of ankle power, despite patients’ aging. When examining 15 patients with 8 to 13 year follow-up (mean 10.3 years), there were gains in cadence (+9.8 steps/min, p=0.003), step length (3.6 cm, p=0.024), and walking speed (0.17 m/s, p=0.003), and preservation of the increased sagittal ROM of 2.0 deg. The only difference between prostheses was increased dorsiflexion at initial contact in the STARs vs SALTOs (5.9 degrees, p=0.014). Conclusion: This is the first study to report long-term, objective, functional outcomes of TAA, as measured by 3-D digital gait analysis. Even at a decade or more after TAA, patients had sustained improvement in multiple, objective parameters of gait compared to their preoperative function.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 247301142110345
Author(s):  
J. Scott Donoughe ◽  
Kiya Shazadeh Safavi ◽  
Aryan Rezvani ◽  
Nicholas Healy ◽  
Daniel C. Jupiter ◽  
...  

Background: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments public database provides a means for increased transparency of physicians’ financial relationships with industry. Total ankle arthroplasty is a procedure with long-term clinical implications and variable outcomes. We compared physician-reported conflict-of-interest (COI) disclosures in the journal Foot & Ankle International ( FAI) to CMS database information to evaluate for discrepancies. Methods: Articles published in FAI reporting clinical outcomes of total ankle arthroplasty from 2015 and 2019 were reviewed. Payment information in the CMS database was cross-referenced with disclosure statements and International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) forms associated with the manuscript. Statistical analysis was performed to determine if industry payments were appropriately disclosed or influenced outcomes. Results: We reviewed 173 articles pertaining to ankle arthroplasty, with 27 meeting inclusion criteria. Of 120 total authors with 98 unique authors, 114 (95%) disclosed appropriately in disclosure statements. Twenty-two studies (82%) had appropriate declarations for the entire manuscript. For the 27 senior authors, only 2 discrepancies between manuscript disclosure and the Open Payments public database were noted, showing 13 total disclosures in the Open Payments public database vs 11 disclosed in the manuscript. There was no relationship between industry payments and the outcome of the manuscript ( P = .725). Conclusion: The majority of author disclosure statements accurately reflected the Open Payments public data. Additionally, payments were not significantly associated with positive outcomes reported for the specific implant. Overall, authors publishing on ankle arthroplasty in FAI are disclosing appropriately. Level of Evidence: Level IV, systematic review; survey study; literature review.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 3S-4S
Author(s):  
Ilker Uçkay ◽  
Christopher B. Hirose ◽  
Mathieu Assal

Recommendation: Every intra-articular injection of the ankle is an invasive procedure associated with potential healthcare-associated infections, including periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). Based on the limited current literature, the ideal timing for elective TAA after corticosteroid injection for the symptomatic native ankle joint is unknown. The consensus workgroup recommends that at least 3 months pass after corticosteroid injection and prior to performing TAA. Level of Evidence: Limited. Delegate Vote: Agree: 92%, Disagree: 8%, Abstain: 0% (Super Majority, Strong Consensus)


2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 210-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Cunningham ◽  
Vasili Karas ◽  
James K. DeOrio ◽  
James A. Nunley ◽  
Mark E. Easley ◽  
...  

Background: The Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) model provides bundled payments for in-hospital and 90-day postdischarge care of patients undergoing total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). Defining patient factors associated with increased costs during TAA could help identify modifiable preoperative patient factors that could be addressed prior to the patient entering the bundle, as well as determine targets for cost reduction in postoperative care. Methods: This study is part of an institutional review board–approved single-center observational study of patients undergoing TAA from January 1, 2012, to December 15, 2016. Patients were included if they met CJR criteria for inclusion into the bundled payment model. All Medicare payments beginning at the index procedure through 90 days postoperatively were identified. Patient, operative, and postoperative characteristics were associated with costs in adjusted, multivariable analyses. One hundred thirty-seven patients met inclusion criteria for the study. Results: Cerebrovascular disease (intracranial hemorrhages, strokes, or transient ischemic attacks) was initially associated with increased costs (mean, $5595.25; 95% CI, $1710.22-$9480.28) in adjusted analyses ( P = .005), though this variable did not meet a significance threshold adjusted for multiple comparisons. Increased length of stay, discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF), admissions, emergency department (ED) visits, and wound complications were significant postoperative drivers of payment. Conclusion: Common comorbidities did not reliably predict increased costs. Increased length of stay, discharge to an SNF, readmission, ED visits, and wound complications were postoperative factors that considerably increased costs. Lastly, reducing the rates of SNF placement, readmission, ED visitation, and wound complications are targets for reducing costs for patients undergoing TAA. Level of Evidence: Level II, prognostic prospective cohort study.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (12) ◽  
pp. 1519-1528
Author(s):  
Jonathan Day ◽  
Jaeyoung Kim ◽  
Martin J. O’Malley ◽  
Constantine A. Demetracopoulos ◽  
Jonathan Garfinkel ◽  
...  

Background: The Salto Talaris is a fixed-bearing implant first approved in the US in 2006. While early surgical outcomes have been promising, mid- to long-term survivorship data are limited. The aim of this study was to present the survivorship and causes of failure of the Salto Talaris implant, with functional and radiographic outcomes. Methods: Eighty-seven prospectively followed patients who underwent total ankle arthroplasty with the Salto Talaris between 2007 and 2015 at our institution were retrospectively identified. Of these, 82 patients (85 ankles) had a minimum follow-up of 5 (mean, 7.1; range, 5-12) years. The mean age was 63.5 (range, 42-82) years and the mean body mass index was 28.1 (range, 17.9-41.2) kg/m2. Survivorship was determined by incidence of revision, defined as removal/exchange of a metal component. Preoperative, immediate, and minimum 5-year postoperative AP and lateral weightbearing radiographs were reviewed; tibiotalar alignment (TTA) and the medial distal tibial angle (MDTA) were measured to assess coronal talar and tibial alignment, respectively. The sagittal tibial angle (STA) was measured; the talar inclination angle (TIA) was measured to evaluate for radiographic subsidence of the implant, defined as a change in TIA of 5 degrees or more from the immediately to the latest postoperative lateral radiograph. The locations of periprosthetic cysts were documented. Preoperative and minimum 5-year postoperative Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) subscales were compared. Results: Survivorship was 97.6% with 2 revisions. One patient underwent tibial and talar component revision for varus malalignment of the ankle; another underwent talar component revision for aseptic loosening and subsidence. The rate of other reoperations was 21.2% ( n = 18), with the main reoperation being exostectomy with debridement for ankle impingement ( n = 12). At final follow-up, the average TTA improved 4.4 (± 3.8) degrees, the average MDTA improved 3.4 (± 2.6) degrees, and the average STA improved 5.3 (± 4.5) degrees. Periprosthetic cysts were observed in 18 patients, and there was no radiographic subsidence. All FAOS subscales demonstrated significant improvement at final follow-up. Conclusions: We found the Salto Talaris implant to be durable, consistent with previous studies of shorter follow-up lengths. We observed significant improvement in radiographic alignment as well as patient-reported clinical outcomes at a minimum 5-year follow-up. Level of Evidence: Level IV, retrospective case series.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 247301141984100
Author(s):  
Kempland C. Walley ◽  
Christopher B. Arena ◽  
Paul J. Juliano ◽  
Michael C. Aynardi

Background: Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) after total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is a serious complication that results in significant consequences to the patient and threatens the survival of the ankle replacement. PJI in TAA may require debridement, placement of antibiotic spacer, revision arthroplasty, conversion to arthrodesis, or potentially below the knee amputation. While the practice of TAA has gained popularity in recent years, there is some minimal data regarding wound complications in acute or chronic PJI of TAA. However, of the limited studies that describe complications of PJI of TAA, even fewer studies describe the criteria used in diagnosing PJI. This review will cover the current available literature regarding total ankle arthroplasty infection and will propose a model for treatment options for acute and chronic PJI in TAA. Methods: A review of the current literature was conducted to identify clinical investigations in which prosthetic joint infections occurred in total ankle arthroplasty with associated clinical findings, radiographic imaging, and functional outcomes. The electronic databases for all peer-reviewed published works available through January 31, 2018, of the Cochrane Library, PubMed MEDLINE, and Google Scholar were explored using the following search terms and Boolean operators: “total ankle replacement” OR “total ankle arthroplasty” AND “periprosthetic joint infection” AND “diagnosis” OR “diagnostic criteria.” An article was considered eligible for inclusion if it concerned diagnostic criteria of acute or chronic periprosthetic joint infection of total ankle arthroplasty regardless of the number of patients treated, type of TAA utilized, conclusion, or level of evidence of study. Results: No studies were found in the review of the literature describing criteria for diagnosing PJI specific to TAA. Conclusions: Literature describing the diagnosis and treatment of PJI in TAA is entirely reliant on the literature surrounding knee and hip arthroplasty. Because of the limited volume of total ankle arthroplasty in comparison to knee and hip arthroplasty, no studies to our knowledge exist describing diagnostic criteria specific to total ankle arthroplasty with associated reliability. Large multicenter trials may be required to obtain the volume necessary to accurately describe diagnostic criteria of PJI specific to TAA. Level of Evidence: Level III, systematic review.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 62S-63S
Author(s):  
Jonathan Kaplan ◽  
Steven Raikin

Recommendation: Yes. Deep chronic infection after total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) requires implant removal unless otherwise contraindicated. Level of Evidence: Strong. Delegate Vote: Agree: 100%, Disagree: 0%, Abstain: 0% (Unanimous, Strongest Consensus).


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