Trajectory of Recovery Following Total Ankle Arthroplasty Using Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Health Outcomes Research

Background:

• Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is a primary surgical intervention for end-stage ankle arthritis (ESAA).
• Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) offers standardized assessment of patient-driven outcomes.
• Limited research exists on TAA outcomes utilizing PROMIS measures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To delineate the recovery trajectory of patients undergoing TAA for ESAA.
• To analyze changes in PROMIS scores for physical function (PF), pain interference (PI), and depression (DP) up to one year post-surgery.
• To establish a benchmark for patient recovery following primary TAA.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 109 patients undergoing primary TAA for ESAA between January 2018 and October 2023.
• Collection and comparison of preoperative and postoperative PROMIS scores at multiple time points up to 1 year.
• Exclusion criteria included contralateral TAA within 1 year and insufficient PROMIS score data.

Main Results:

• Mean PROMIS PF scores improved from preoperative levels, reaching 43.1 at 1 year.
• Mean PROMIS PI scores showed improvement, stabilizing around 55.8 at 1 year.
• Significant improvements in PROMIS PF and PI scores were observed within the first 6 months post-TAA.

Conclusions:

• Primary TAA leads to significant improvements in PROMIS physical function and pain interference scores within one year.
• Patients typically experience noticeable pain and functional improvements within 3 months of TAA.
• Achieving PROMIS scores within 1 standard deviation of the national average may take up to 6-12 months post-surgery.