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Updated: Jun 27, 2026
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Treatment of Ankle Osteoarthritis with Total Ankle Replacement Through a Lateral Transfibular Approach
Published on: January 24, 2018
The present state of ankle arthroplasty.
Peter L R Wood1, Timothy M Clough, Robert Smith
1Wrightington Hospital, Wigan, UK. peter.wood@wwl.nhs.uk
Summary
Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) offers advantages over fusion for select patients. Proper patient selection for TAA can lead to successful, long-lasting outcomes, with good survivorship rates reported in literature.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic surgery
- Biomedical engineering
- Clinical outcomes research
Background:
- Increasing utilization of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA).
- Continuous release of novel implant designs by manufacturers.
- Limited published outcome data for many newer TAA designs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing literature on total ankle arthroplasty designs and outcomes.
- To assess the current state of evidence for TAA survivorship and influencing factors.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and commentary on published TAA outcomes.
- Analysis of survivorship data based on implant design and patient alignment.
- Evaluation of follow-up periods in existing studies.
Main Results:
- High survivorship rates for TAA: over 90% at 5 years and approximately 80% at 10 years for designs with available data.
- Lower failure rates observed in ankles with good pre-operative alignment compared to those with significant varus or valgus deformity (>15 degrees).
- Limited long-term outcome data for the majority of recently introduced TAA designs.
Conclusions:
- Total ankle arthroplasty presents significant advantages compared to ankle fusion for specific patient populations.
- Adherence to appropriate patient selection criteria is crucial for achieving durable and satisfactory TAA outcomes.
- Further research with longer follow-up periods is needed for newer TAA designs.
