Clinical Outcomes of Ankle Distraction Arthroplasty Versus Supramalleolar Osteotomy

BackgroundPost-traumatic ankle arthritis is increasing in young people and it is very important to preserve the ankle range of motion in young patients. This study aimed to compare ankle distraction arthroplasty versus supramalleolar osteotomy for post-traumatic ankle arthritis.MethodsThis retrospective study reviewed 32 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for post-traumatic ankle arthritis from January 2015 to December 2018 after failure of conservative treatment. Thirteen ankles that underwent ankle distraction arthroplasty were age-, sex-, and body mass index-matched with 19 ankles that underwent supramalleolar osteotomy. Patients returned for clinical and radiologic follow-up at an average of 32 (range, 24–48) months postoperatively. Outcomes were the comparison of the pre- and postoperative Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores and American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scores, complications, subjective patient-rated satisfaction, and ankle function.ResultsThe VAS and AOFAS scores of the two groups were significantly improved at final follow-up compared with preoperatively (p<0.05), but did not significantly differ between groups. The ankle distraction arthroplasty group had better postoperative ankle mobility than the supramalleolar osteotomy group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the tibial anterior surface angle, talar tilt angle, tibial lateral surface angle, and other imaging parameters, but supramalleolar osteotomy was more effective in correcting the load-bearing line of the ankle and hindfoot. The complication rate was similar in both groupsConclusionsAnkle distraction arthroplasty and supramalleolar osteotomy both achieved good pain relief and improved function in patients with traumatic ankle arthritis.Level of evidence: Level III, retrospective comparative series.

Ankle distraction arthroplasty using the Ilizarov external fixation and arthroscopy: first clinical experience

We report a clinical case of a 27-year-old patient with posttraumatic painful ankle arthritis following sport injury treated with combined methods. The patient underwent ankle distraction arthroplasty with original Ilizarov apparatus and arthroscopic diagnosis and treatment of the ankle injury followed by the joint unloading and exercise therapy with frame on performed for 6 weeks at the Kurgan Ilizarov Center. The patient could improve pain relief and function at a long term following comprehensive treatment including surgical intervention, a course of physical procedures and exercise therapy. The combined technique can be used as an alternative treatment for patients with posttraumatic ankle arthritis.

Surgical management for primary osteoarthritis of the elbow

The objective of this review is to summarize the surgical options for primary osteoarthritis of the elbow, reported clinical outcomes, and suggested indications in previous literatures. The surgical management of primary elbow arthritis has evolved because of an improved understanding of pathologic mechanisms and manifestations as well as the development of novel surgical techniques and devices. Osteocapsular arthroplasty (OCA), elbow debridement, distraction arthroplasty, and total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) have been employed for managing elbow osteoarthritis. Elbow debridement and OCA can be helpful in most cases of symptomatic elbow arthritis. TEA is usually recommended for end-stage arthritis in elderly patients after prosthetic implants have been in place for long periods or after complications. Distraction arthroplasty might find a place in the treatment of younger, active patients with end-stage arthritis.

Functional Analysis of Distraction Arthroplasty in the Treatment of Ankle Osteoarthritis

Category: Ankle Arthritis Introduction/Purpose: Ankle joint distraction arthroplasty (AJDA) is an alternative surgical procedure for the management of moderate to severe ankle osteoarthritis. However, the benefit of this procedure and failure relative factors are still in debate. The purpose of current study was to evaluate the functional outcomes of AJDA in treatment of moderate to severe ankle OA; and to evaluate the relative factors correlated with treatment failure. Methods: Forty-six van Dijk stage II and III ankle osteoarthritis patients were included. Fifteen males and 31 females with a mean age of 54.8 (range, 42-71) years were followed with a mean of 42.8 (range, 24-68) months. The Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale (AOS) and American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score were used for functional outcomes evaluation. The talar tilt (TT) angle and ankle joint space distance (AJSD) were evaluated. The risk ratio (RR) was calculated for each potential failure relative factor. Results: The AOS and AOFAS scores were significantly improved at the last followup time (P＜0.01). The AJSD was improved in 61% of patients, and with a significant improvement compared with the preoperative conditions (P＜0.01). The TT angle and range of motion reached no significant difference. The failure rate was 21.7%. Patients with large TT (>=5°) angle (RR=3.81, 95%CI: 1.28-11.33, P=0.02) and obesity (RR=3.58, 95%CI: 1.30-9.89, P=0.01) were found have positive correlation with failure. No correlation was found between failure and gender, or overweight, or side, or age, or type and stage of OA, or pin infection. Conclusion: Current study confirmed the early functional outcomes of ankle distraction arthroplasty. However, this procedure still has a relatively high failure rate, especially for those obesity patients and the patients with large TT angles.

SMOT with Medial Distraction Arthroplasty for Ankle Arthritis with Increased Talar Tilt: A Comparative Study

Category: Ankle Arthritis Introduction/Purpose: An increased preoperative talar tilt (TT) angle was reported to be positively correlated with treatment failure after supramalleolar osteotomy (SMOT) for varus ankle osteoarthritis. Distraction arthroplasty was reported to have the ability to correct increased TT angles. The purpose of the current study was to compare the outcomes between SMOT with and without medial distraction arthroplasty (MDA) in the treatment of varus ankle osteoarthritis with increased TT angles. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the functional outcomes and radiological findings of 56 patients who underwent SMOT with or without MDA for varus ankle osteoarthritis with increased TT angles. The AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score and AOS scores were used for functional evaluation. The tibial anterior surface (TAS) angle, talar tilt (TT) angle, tibial medial malleolar (TMM) angle, talocrural (TC) angle, tibial lateral surface (TLS) angle, and hindfoot alignment (HFA) angle were evaluated preoperatively and at the time of the last follow-up. Results: In the SMOT group, the AOFAS score and AOS pain and function scores were significantly improved (P <0.01 for each) at a mean follow-up of 67.5 months. The TAS, TT, TC, TLS, and HFA angles were all significantly improved (P <0.01 for each). Similarly, in the SMOT with MDA group, the AOFAS score, AOS pain and function scores, and the TAS, TT, TC, TLS, and HFA angles were all significantly improved postoperatively (P <0.01 for each) at a mean follow-up of 37.8 months. When comparing the two groups, the postoperative TT angle was significantly smaller in the SMOT with MDA group (P = 0.03) than in the SMOT group. In addition, the failure rate of TT angle correction was significantly higher in the SMOT group (P = 0.02) than in the SMOT with MDA group. Conclusion: SMOT is a promising procedure for functional improvement and malalignment correction for varus ankle osteoarthritis, even in patients with increased talar tilt. SMOT with MDA is a effective method to correct the varus ankle OA with increased talar tilt.

Effect of Microfracture on Functional Outcomes and Subchondral Sclerosis Following Distraction Arthroplasty of the Ankle Joint

Background: Treatment for post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) of the ankle remains challenging. Distraction arthroplasty (DA) is an alternative for patients who are averse to or poor candidates for arthrodesis or joint replacement. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of microfracture (MFX) and concentrated bone marrow aspirate (CBMA) on the outcome of patients undergoing DA for end-stage PTOA of the ankle joint. Methods: Ninety-five patients who underwent DA for the treatment of end stage PTOA from 2009 to 2014 were selected from the hospital ankle registry. Demographic data, functional activity levels, complications, and radiographs taken at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months postoperatively were reviewed. Foot and Ankle Outcome Scores (FAOS) were obtained at the same time intervals. A total of 78 patients were included in this study. Interventions were divided into 4 groups for comparison: DA+MFX (n = 8), DA+MFX+CBMA (n = 35), DA+CBMA (n = 22), and DA alone (n = 13). Results: Patients undergoing DA+MFX or DA+MFX+CBMA had significantly worse motion ( P = .003) when compared with DA alone. Patients undergoing MFX had significantly reduced postoperative joint space and a greater length of time to return to activity when compared to subgroups not using MFX ( P = .01). The use of MFX was associated with significantly lower FAOS scores. Conclusion: The current study showed no benefit from MFX when combined with DA in the treatment of PTOA. CBMA may have helped mitigate the adverse effect of MFX but conferred no benefit when used with DA alone. DA remains a useful alternative to ankle arthrodesis and arthroplasty in patients with PTOA. However, MFX and biologic augmentation using CBMA appeared to have no additional benefit. Level of Evidence: Level III, comparative study.