Considering the importance of ankle pathology in total knee arthroplasty recovery

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an extremely prevalent degenerative joint disease which commonly occurs in the knee. In severe cases of knee OA, total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is often indicated to relieve pain and restore limb alignment. While studies have shown how TKA improves knee symptoms, the relationship between the operated knee with the hip and ankle remains understudied. A prospective study by Buterin et al showed a significant relationship between reduced ankle symptoms and better TKA recovery. The objective of this paper is to explore ways to expand the completed study to make it more widely applicable. These include sampling patients from multiple surgical centers in different cultural backgrounds, including different etiologies of OA, extending the study time points, and evaluating the contralateral limb. Together, the study by Buterin et al combined with future work can elucidate new TKA rehabilitation techniques which focus on the entire lower extremity.