Journal
FOOT & ANKLE INTERNATIONAL
Volume 33, Issue 4, Pages 282-289Publisher
AMER ORTHOPAEDIC FOOT & ANKLE SOC, INC
DOI: 10.3113/FAI.2012.0282
Keywords
Arthritis; Arthrodesis; Arthroplasty; Mobility; Gait Analysis
Categories
Funding
- Department of Veterans Affairs [A4513R, A4883C A4843C]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Background: Little is known about functional outcomes of ankle arthroplasty compared with arthrodesis. This study compared pre-surgical and post-surgical gait measures in both patient groups. Methods: Eighteen patients with end-stage ankle arthritis participated in an ongoing longitudinal study (pre-surgery, 12 months post-surgery) involving gait analysis, assessment of pain and physical function. Outcome measures included temporal-distance, kinematic and kinetic data, the Short Form 36 (SF-36) body pain score, and average daily step count. A mixed effects linear model was used to detect effects of surgical group (arthrodesis and arthroplasty, n = 9 each) with walking speed as a covariate (alpha = 0.05). Results: Both groups were similar in demographics and anthropometrics. Followup time was the same for each group. There were no complications in either group. Pain decreased (p < 0.001) and gait function improved (gait velocity, p = 0.02; stride length, p = 0.035) in both groups. Neither group increased average daily step count. Joint range of motion (ROM) differences were observed between groups after surgery (increased hip ROM in arthrodesis, p = 0.001; increased ankle ROM in arthroplasty, p = 0.036). Peak plantar flexor moment increased in arthrodesis patients and decreased in arthroplasty patients (p = 0.042). Conclusion: Initial findings of this ongoing clinical study indicate pain reduction and improved gait function 12 months after surgery for both treatments. Arthroplasty appears to regain more natural ankle joint function, with increased ROM. Longterm follow up should may reveal more clinically meaningful differences.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available