Transfibular Total Ankle Arthroplasty Seems Effective for End-Stage Arthritis
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, June 16, 2025 -- Transfibular total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) seems effective and durable for end-stage ankle arthritis, according to a study published online April 29 in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Jonathan Day, M.D., from MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, and colleagues retrospectively identified and evaluated 130 ankles from 122 patients with a mean follow-up of 5.9 years after primary TAA to examine implant survivorship and clinical and radiographic outcomes.
The researchers found that mean postoperative values were 41.5 and 54.9 for the 12-item Short Form Health Survey Physical Component Summary and Mental Component Summary, respectively; 2.3 for the visual analog scale for pain; and 19.1 and 28.5 for the Ankle Osteoarthritis Scales for pain and disability, respectively. The postoperative tibiotalar range of motion was 7.5 and 17.3 degrees of dorsiflexion and plantar flexion, respectively. Overall, 42 valgus ankles and 44 varus ankles were corrected to neutral. Twenty percent of the ankles had one zone of radiolucency, while none had more than seven zones. Three cases of cysts occurred (2.3 percent), and there were no cases of subsidence, septic or aseptic loosening, or fibular nonunion. At a mean of 26.7 months, 47 ankles (36.2 percent) had adverse events, with medial gutter debridement (22 ankles; 16.9 percent) being the most common reoperation. At the time of final follow-up, overall implant survivorship, defined as retention of the metal components, was 100 percent.
"By resurfacing the joint, we are preserving more surface area of high-density bone to support the implant," lead author Lew C. Schon, M.D., from Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, said in a statement. "Our clinical and robotic testing show outstanding wear properties of the components."
One author is the designer of the device and owner of its patent.
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Posted June 2025
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