Comparison of pre-and postoperative clinicalfunctional results of total ankle arthroplasty for arthrosis treatment

Abstract

Objective: Compare the pre-and postoperative clinical-functional results of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) to treat ankle arthrosis applying the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), the Quality of Life Questionnaire (SF-36), and the Visual Analog Scale of Pain (VAS). Methods: A retrospective clinical study was conducted, including 15 patients who were submitted to TAA to treat ankle arthrosis. Results: The t-student test was used to compare the AOFAS score and the FAOS between the pre-and postoperative periods. The results showed a significant increase; the AOFAS increased from 25.8 to 79.8, and the FAOS increased from 7.2 to 69.8. When correlating the VAS and the FAOS, it was noted that the higher the FAOS in the postoperative, the lower the VAS and vice versa. When performing the positive correlation between the SF-36 (mental health) and the FAOS (quality of life), it was observed that the higher the SF-36 score, the higher the FAOS score. Conclusion: Total ankle arthroplasty is a safe option with better results regarding limb functionality for patients in advanced stages of ankle arthrosis, improving the quality of life of these patients. Level of Evidence IV; Therapeutic Studies; Case Series. Keywords: Arthroplasty, replacement, ankle; Osteoarthritis; Ankle.