Accuracy assessment of measuring component position after total ankle arthroplasty using a conventional method

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Radiology

Background:

• Assessing component positioning accuracy in total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is critical for successful outcomes.
• Investigating outlier rates and predisposing factors for malalignment in TAA is essential for improving surgical techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of tibial and talar component placement in TAA using a conventional method.
• To determine the outlier rate of these components and identify factors contributing to malalignment.

Main Methods:

• 150 primary TAAs using the HINTEGRA prosthesis were analyzed.
• Postoperative radiographic analysis at 6 months assessed component position in coronal and sagittal planes.
• Accuracy was evaluated concerning preoperative deformity and joint incongruency.

Main Results:

• Mean coronal angles for tibial and talar components were 91.9° and 91.3°, respectively.
• Mean sagittal angles for tibial and talar components were 84.6° and 91.7°, respectively.
• Outlier rates (>5°) were 10.7% for tibial and 10.0% for talar components (coronal); 10.0% for tibial and 19.3% for talar components (sagittal).

Conclusions:

• Conventional TAA shows outlier rates of 10-20% for tibial and talar components.
• The talar component in the sagittal plane exhibits a higher outlier rate, up to 20%.
• Meticulous attention to talar component implantation is recommended in conventional TAA procedures.