Current concepts in total ankle arthroplasty

Abstract

Ankle arthrodesis has for decades been the ‘gold standard’ treatment for end-stage ankle arthritis. Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) surgery, first introduced in the early 1970's, was initially plagued with poor outcomes and high complications, leading understandably to limited uptake. Since then, their design has evolved tremendously, and with it, there has been renewed interest in its role in the surgical management of end-stage ankle arthritis. In this article we discuss the current clinical evidence for TAA, its indications and contra-indications for use, its outcomes and results, the role of concomitant surgical procedures, complications and comment on areas of further study required.