A study published in the Sept. 6 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery compares rates of in-hospital complications among patients who undergo either ankle arthrodesis or total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). 

The researchers conducted a matched cohort study of 3,148 patients. They found that a major, in-hospital complication occurred in 8.5 percent (n = 134) of patients in the ankle arthrodesis group and 5.3 percent (n = 84) of patients in the TAA group, while minor complications were more likely in the TAA group than in the ankle arthrodesis group. After adjustment for case mix, they found that major complication was 1.8 times more likely and minor complication was 29 percent less likely in the ankle arthrodesis cohort compared to the TAA cohort. Learn more...