Abstract
Total ankle replacement (TAR) is a relatively new addition to the arthroplasty family. The uniform belief that the learning curve for this procedure is steep seems to have retarded the advancement of TAR as a substitute for arthrodesis. This presentation highlights the problems of TAR, exploring the reasons for the high initial complication rate and discussing ways of overcoming the difficulties.
The most common problems are correcting the deformities and creating a ligamentous balance. Because of the unique ankle and subtalar configuration, a paradigm shift is required to realign and balance the joint properly.
It is hoped this talk will make TAR user-friendlier and help it take its rightful place in arthroplasty surgery.
Secretary: Dr H.J.S. Colyn, Editor: Professor M.B.E. Sweet. Correspondence should be addressed to SAOA, Box 47363, Parklands, Johannesburg, 2121, South Africa.
