Revision of the aseptic and septic total ankle replacement

Total ankle replacement has become a popular treatment of symptomatic end-stage ankle osteoarthritis. Contemporary total ankle replacement systems provide more anatomic and biomechanically sound function. However, longevity is still limited and long-term results of modern total ankle replacement designs are not available. In the case of failure, conversion into arthrodesis has remained the treatment of choice but at the cost of hindfoot function and potential degeneration of the adjacent joints. Thus, revision total ankle replacement by exchange of the prosthetic components represents an attractive solution. This article focuses on revision total ankle replacement and conversion to ankle arthrodesis.