Abstract
Purpose: To compare the clinical outcomes of patients surgically treated for end stage ankle arthritis using total ankle arthroplasty or ankle arthrodesis.
Method: This is a single center clinical outcome study of the surgical treatment of patients with end stage ankle arthritis (n=81) using an ankle arthrodesis or total ankle arthroplasty. Clinical outcome was assessed using health related quality of life (SF36v2) and joint specific (Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale, American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Hindfoot Scale and the AAOS Foot and Ankle Baseline Questionnaire(version 2000)) outcome scores. Complications were recorded as well.
Results: Preoperatively, all patients had significant physical and psychological morbidity. There was a significant improvement in the health related quality of life and the joint specific clinical outcome scores at 1, 2 and 3 years follow up (p-value.05) Complications included 5 (10%) non union, in the ankle arthrodesis cohort and 2 (6.7%) revisions for aseptic loosening in the total ankle arthroplasty cohort.
Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that surgical treatment of end stage ankle arthritis with ankle arthrodesis or total ankle arthroplasty equally improve clinical outcome in the short term with acceptable and similar complication rates.
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