Influence of Depressive Symptoms on the Clinical Outcomes of Total Ankle Arthroplasty

Many studies have reported the relevance of depression on clinical outcomes after knee or hip arthroplasty. However, no study has investigated this relationship in total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). This study aimed to study the relationship between depressive symptoms and clinical outcomes after TAA. This retrospective comparative study investigated 40 patients who underwent TAA for end-stage ankle arthritis. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Preoperative and postoperative clinical outcomes were compared using the visual analog scale (VAS) and American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scores by classifying the subjects into depressive and nondepressive groups. The mean follow-up duration was 24.3 ± 7.3 (range 14 to 37) months. There were 13 and 27 subjects in the depressive and nondepressive groups, respectively. There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics and preoperative VAS and AOFAS scores between them. The postoperative VAS score was significantly higher in the depressive group (3.1 ± 2.4) than in the nondepressive group (1.4 ± 2.3; p < .001). The postoperative AOFAS scores in the depressive and nondepressive groups were 89.3 ± 13.4 and 95.0 ± 8.1, respectively, showing a significantly superior result in the latter group (p < .001). The clinical outcomes after TAA were poorer in the patients with depressive symptoms than in those without. Depressive symptoms are patient-specific factors or independent predictors that show less improvement after TAA. Therefore, clinical considerations of these symptoms are essential before TAA.