NA Laryngoscope, 126:2459-2467, 2016.

Background: Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is an increasingly selected treatment for end-stage ankle arthritis; however, failure and revision of the tibial and talar components remains an issue. Although multiple risk factors have been shown to contribute to early component revision, no study has looked at combining such risk factors into a predictive model that could potentially decrease revision rates and improve implant survival. This study aimed to develop a predictive model for TAA failure based on patient characteristics, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and immediate postoperative radiographs. Methods: A retrospective review of a single-site ankle arthritis database was conducted. All patients with current-generation ankle replacements including the Hintegra and Infinity prostheses implanted between 2004 and 2015 and with complete postoperative radiographs taken between 6 and 12 weeks postoperatively were included. Eight coronal and sagittal radiographic parameters were assessed and performed twice by 2 independent orthopedic surgeons on included TAAs. These radiographic parameters were then analyzed in association with patient demographics and PRO. Advanced statistical methods including survival analysis were used to construct a predictive model for TAA survival. A total of 107 patients were included and analyzed with a median clinical follow-up of 49 months (minimum 24 months). Results: A predictive model was created, with 4 parameters identified as being statistically associated with TAA metal-component revision: diabetes mellitus, poor baseline Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale (AOS) score, excessively dorsiflexed talar component, and an anteriorly/posteriorly translated talus relative to the tibial axis. The presence of 3 parameters predicted TAA survival of 0.60 whereas presence of all 4 parameters predicted survival of only 0.13 in the period studied. Conclusion: Our predictive model is based on a combination of patient factors, PROs, and radiographic TAA alignment. We believe it can be used by surgeons to predict failure in their TAA patients, thereby optimizing postoperative outcomes by improving patient selection and modifiable outcome-specific parameters. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective cohort study using prospectively collected data.

Background: End-stage ankle arthritis is a disabling condition that has a similar effect on morbidity, pain, and loss of function to hip arthritis. We compared clinical outcomes of total ankle replacement (TAR) involving the HINTEGRA prosthesis (Integra LifeSciences), arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis (AAA), and open ankle arthrodesis (OAA) in patients with isolated, non-deformed end-stage ankle arthritis. Methods: Patients ≥18 years old who underwent TAR, AAA, or OAA from 2002 to 2012 with a minimum follow-up of 2 years were retrospectively identified from the Canadian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (COFAS) Prospective Ankle Reconstruction Database. All patients had symptomatic COFAS Type-1 end-stage ankle arthritis without intra-articular or extra-articular deformity or surrounding joint arthritis. Clinical outcomes included the Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale (AOS) and Short Form-36 (SF-36). Revision was defined as removal of 1 or both metal ankle prosthesis components for TAR and as reoperation for malposition, malunion, or nonunion for AAA and OAA. Results: Analysis included 238 ankles (88 TAR, 50 AAA, and 100 OAA) in 229 patients with a mean follow-up of 43.3 ± 18.5 months. The TAR group had more female patients (55%; p = 0.0318) and a higher mean age (p = 0.0005). Preoperative AOS pain, disability, and total scores were similar for all groups. SF-36 physical and mental component summary scores were similar across groups, both preoperatively and postoperatively. Improvement in AOS total score was significantly larger for TAR (34.4 ± 22.6) and AAA (38.3 ± 23.6) compared with OAA (25.8 ± 25.5; p = 0.005). Improvement in AOS disability score was also significantly larger for TAR (36.7 ± 24.3) and AAA (40.5 ± 26.4) compared with OAA (26.0 ± 26.2; p = 0.0013). However, the greater improvements did not meet the minimal clinically important difference. The TAR group underwent more reoperations than AAA and OAA groups (p < 0.0001). Revision rates were similar for all 3 groups (p = 0.262). Conclusions: AAA and OAA resulted in comparable clinical outcomes to TAR in patients with non-deformed, COFAS Type-1 end-stage ankle arthritis. The rate of component revision in patients who underwent TAR was similar to the rate of revision for patients who underwent AAA or OAA; however, TAR patients underwent a greater number of additional procedures. Overall, AAA and TAR involving the HINTEGRA prosthesis were not significantly different surgical options in terms of short-term outcomes; patients should be counseled regarding higher reoperation rates for TAR. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

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Level III, retrospective comparative cohort study based on prospectively collected data.