Total Ankle Arthroplasty Survivorship, Complication, and Revision Rates in Patients Younger Than 55 Years

Outcomes After Total Ankle Arthroplasty in Patients Aged ≤50 Years at Midterm Follow-up

BACKGROUND

Ankle arthritis differs from arthritis of the hip and knee in that 80% is posttraumatic and thus often occurs in a younger patient population. The literature supporting total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) in younger patients has increased over recent years and has bolstered the argument that in the short term, TAA in younger patients has successful outcomes that are comparable to older, lower-demand patients.The purpose of our study was to evaluate patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and implant survivorship at midterm after primary TAA in patients ≤ 50 years of age at the time of surgery.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review was conducted of patients ≤ 50 years of age who underwent primary TAA at a single institution from 2000 to 2017. Patient demographics, outcome measures, and complications were recorded. All patients had a minimum clinical follow-up of 5 years. PRO measures were evaluated at preoperative, 1-year postoperative, and final follow-up visits. Paired t tests were performed to compare individual patient changes in PROs from preoperative. Implant survivorship was evaluated based on need for revision of either the tibial or talar component. The need for additional surgery related to the TAA was also evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 58 patients were included. The average age at the time of the index surgery was 43.3 years (range 22-50 years). All patients had a minimum follow-up of 5 years with a mean follow-up of 8.8 years. A total of 11 patients required additional surgery related to their TAA. Six patients (10.3%) required bone grafting of peri-implant cysts, 3 patients (5.2 %) required gutter debridement, and 1 patient underwent complete revision of metal components. Mean visual analog scale, 36-item Short Form Health Survey, Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment, and American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society hindfoot scores significantly improved from preoperative to 1-year postoperative and final postoperative follow-up.

CONCLUSION

The patients aged ≤50 years treated with a TAA whom we have been able to observe for a minimum of 5 years showed generally maintained improvement in functional scores and thus far have had a relatively low rate of secondary surgeries.Level of Evidence:Level III, retrospective cohort study.

Total Ankle Arthroplasty in Young Patients

With continuing advancements in total ankle arthroplasty (TAA), it is quickly becoming the procedure of choice for older patients with end-stage ankle arthritis. Multiple studies have been conducted on younger patients who have undergone TAA with promising results, but is it the procedure of choice? Considerations of TAA versus ankle arthrodesis, TAA implant longevity, outcomes of revision TAA, and whether patients should be offered an arthrodesis with plans for conversion to arthroplasty may help elucidate whether pursuing ankle arthroplasty in a younger, more active population is the correct approach for surgeons.

Results of Total Ankle Arthroplasty Versus Ankle Arthrodesis

No differences have been found between total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) and ankle arthrodesis (AA) with respect to patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), although both interventions were shown to improve PROMs with respect to the preoperative situation. That is, both interventions (AA and TAA) were effective in improving preoperative symptoms. On the other hand, 2-year complication rates were higher after AA (27%) than after TAA (16%); however, infection rates were similar (4%). The published revision rate after AA is 16% versus 11% after TAA. In short, TAA and AA appear to offer the same PROMs, but TAA has a lower rate of complications (except for infection) and revisions.

Revision of total ankle arthroplasty: Survival and medium-term functional results

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to analyze the results and survivorship of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) revision surgery with standard (Salto Talaris®) or revision (Salto Talaris XT®) implants.

METHODS

Between January 2005 and December 2017, all patients undergoing TAA revision at our hospital were included. Indications for revision, type of surgery performed, improvement in function assessed with the AOFAS score, occurrence of complications and implant survival at last follow-up were analyzed.

RESULTS

In the end, 25 TAA patients who had undergone revision (11 unipolar, 14 bipolar) were included. The mean follow-up time was 5.1 ± 1.9 years. At the last follow-up, function was improved compared to the preoperative AOFAS score (51.3 ± 17.5 vs. 83.5 ± 10.1; p < .001), but not plantar flexion (17.5 ± 5.7 vs. 15.4 ± 7.1; p = 0.28) or dorsal flexion (7 ± 5.6 vs. 8.3 ± 4.9; p = 0.3). Complications occurred in six patients (24 %) that led to reoperation: three infections, one lateral impingement, one implant malposition, and one hindfoot alignment disorder. At the last follow-up, implant survival was 96 %, but the probability of survival without reoperation was 78.7 ± 8.5 % at 4 years.

CONCLUSION

TAA revision by arthroplasty is feasible, produces good functional results in the medium term, but has a high risk of complications. The challenge of revision TAA is managing the loss of bone stock and anchoring the new implants.

Two to Five-Year Outcomes of Total Ankle Arthroplasty with the Infinity Fixed-Bearing Implant: A Concise Follow-up of a Previous Report

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Analysis of Baseline Characteristics, Length of Stay, Cost of Care, Complications and Subgroup Analysis of Patients Undergoing Total Ankle Arthroplasty-A Large Database Study

Although total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is becoming a progressively common procedure with a reported 10-fold increase in its prevalence over the past 2 decades; there is still limited large-scale data regarding its overall outcome. Using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, patients who underwent TAA between 2016 and 2019 were identified (ICD-10 CMP code). Data regarding demographic details, co-morbidities, geographic locations of procedure, hospital stay, expenditure incurred, and complications encountered were analyzed. Additionally, a comprehensive subgroup analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of multiple preoperative variables (including gender, diabetes, obesity, CKD and tobacco abuse) on the patient outcome. Overall, 5087 patients (mean age: 65.1 years, 54% males, 85% Caucasians, 75% from large metropolitan regions) underwent TAA. Eighty eight percent of patients were discharged to home; and the mean length of hospital stay and hospital-related expenditure were 1.7 ± 1.41 days and $92,304.5 ± 50,794.1, respectively. The overall complication rate was 8.39% {commonest medical complications: anemia [131 (2.6%) patients) and acute renal failure [37 (0.7%) patients]; commonest local complication: periprosthetic mechanical adversities [90 (1.7%) patients]}. Female and CKD patients demonstrated significantly higher risks of medical (female: p = .003; CKD: p < .001) and surgical (female: p = .005; CKD: p < .019) complications; while obesity substantially enhanced the risk of medical adversities (p < .001). Based on our study, we could conclude that the rates of TAA in the United States are on the rise, especially in regions with population greater than 250,000. TAA is a safe procedure with relatively low complication rates. The complications and hospital-associated expenditure seem to vary between different patient subgroups.

Projections and Epidemiology of Total Ankle and Revision Total Ankle Arthroplasty in the United States to 2030

Background: Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) utilization is increasing in the United States. As the incidence of this procedure grows, it is important for providers to understand the future projections for ankle arthroplasty and more importantly revision total ankle arthroplasty (rTAA). Methods: The National Inpatient Sample (USA) was queried from 2005 to 2017 for all TAA and rTAA. Poisson and linear regression analysis was performed to project annual incidence of TAA and rTAA to 2030, with subgroup analyses on septic rTAA. Results: There were 5315 TAAs performed in 2017, a 564% (P < .001) increase when compared with the TAAs performed in 2005. From 2017 to 2030, the incidence of TAAs is projected to increase from 110% to 796% (P < .001). There were 1170 rTAAs performed in 2017, a 155% (P < .001) increase when compared with rTAAs performed in 2005. There was a 256% increase in the incidence of septic rTAAs from 2005 to 2017 with a projected increase between 22% and 120% by 2030. Conclusions: The incidence of both TAAs and rTAAs is projected to significantly increase over the next decade. Given the known risk factors of TAA and rTAA, these findings reinforce the need for thoughtful consideration when selecting patients for TAA.

High Reoperation Rate in Mobile-Bearing Total Ankle Arthroplasty in Young Patients

Background and Objectives: Due to inferior survival rates compared to hip and knee arthroplasty, total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) was previously mainly recommended for older and less active patients. However, given the encouraging survival rates and clinical outcomes of modern generations of TAA, some authors have also advocated TAA in young patients. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate age related reoperation, revision and survival rates of third-generation mobile-bearing TAAs. Materials andMethods: In this retrospective study, 224 consecutive TAA patients with a minimum follow up (FU) of 2 years were analyzed. Patients were retrospectively assigned to two study groups (Group A: age < 50 years; Group B: age ≥ 50 years). Revision was defined as secondary surgery with prothesis component removal, while reoperation was defined as a non-revisional secondary surgery involving the ankle. Results: After a mean FU of 7.1 ± 3.2 years, the reoperation rate (Group A: 22.2%; Group B: 5.3%; p = 0.003) and revision rate (Group A: 36.1%; Group B: 13.8%; p = 0.003) were higher within Group A. An age of under 50 years at time of surgery was associated with higher reoperation (odds ratio (OR): 6.54 (95% CI: 1.96–21.8); p = 0.002) and revision rates (OR: 3.13 (95% CI: 1.22–8.04); p = 0.018). Overall, lower patient age was associated with higher reoperation (p = 0.009) and revision rates (p = 0.001). Conclusions: The ideal indication for TAA remains controversial, especially regarding patient age. The findings of this study show high reoperation and revision rates in patients aged under 50 years at time of surgery. Therefore, the outcomes of this study suggest that the indication for TAA in young patients should be considered very carefully and that the association between low patient age and high reoperation rate should be disclosed to all eligible patients.

Patient-Reported Outcomes of Primary Total Ankle Arthroplasty in Patients Aged <50 Years

Background:

Compared to more prevalent arthritic conditions, ankle arthritis is complicated by an earlier age of onset. Recently published data demonstrates excellent survivorship and complication rates in short-/midterm follow-up of younger patients who received a primary total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). Additionally, older TAA patients display comparable reported outcomes relative to hip/knee arthroplasty. However, there remains a paucity of literature surrounding the reported outcomes of younger patients undergoing TAA. Thus, our aim was to assess the reported outcomes of individuals aged <50 years receiving a primary TAA.

Methods:

A retrospective cohort analysis of adult patients <50 years who received a primary total ankle replacement was conducted. Patient demographics, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome characteristics were recorded from a chart review of 41 patients with at least 1 year of postoperative clinical follow-up. Postoperative reported outcomes were obtained via telephone interviews. Primary outcomes that were measured included emotional and physical health, activity limitation, ambulation, and global health. Measures used included the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global Health, and Sickness Impact Profile Ambulation. The functional outcomes in our study sample were compared with age- and gender-matched norms from a general US population, and 95% CIs were calculated for each functional outcome mean. Student t test was used for continuous variables, and χ² analysis was used for categorical variables.

Results:

Thirty-one of 41 eligible patients were reached for interview. The average age at surgery was 39.7 years. Clinical and radiographic follow-up was a mean of 51.6 months and 31.2 months following TAA, respectively. General health as measured with the SF-36 was not significantly different from age-/gender-matched norms. Eighty-seven percent of patients would choose to have a TAA again. Although 58% reported being limited in vigorous activities, 61% were able to ambulate frequently for long periods of time. On average, the patients did not report ongoing pain, and only 16% reported fatigue that hindered activities. Eighty-one percent reported returning to full employment and performing their duties without difficulty, and 84% reported they resumed all normal social activities. Primary implant survivorship was 93%.

Conclusion:

Despite a younger age and potentially increased demands, patients aged <50 years undergoing primary TAA are generally satisfied with their index procedure at a mean follow-up of nearly 5 years. Our findings of positive outcomes on their health and well-being may improve surgeon insight for TAA as an alternative treatment for younger individuals with end-stage ankle arthritis.

Level of Evidence: Level IV, case series.