Younger Patients Undergoing Total Ankle Arthroplasty Experience Higher Complication Rates and Worse Functional Outcomes

Although many patients with posttraumatic ankle arthritis are of a younger age, studies evaluating the impact of age on outcomes of primary total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) have revealed heterogenous results. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of age on complication rates and patient-reported outcomes after TAA. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 1,115 patients who had undergone primary TAA. The patients were divided into 3 age cohorts: 70 years (n = 262). Demographic characteristics, intraoperative variables, postoperative complications, and patient-reported outcome measures were compared among groups with use of univariable analyses. Competing-risk regression analysis with adjustment for patient and implant characteristics was performed to assess the risk of implant failure by age group. The mean duration of follow-up was 5.6 years. Compared with the patients who were 55 to 70 years of age and >70 years of age, those who were 70 of age compared with those who were