Complication rates after total ankle arthroplasty in one hundred consecutive prostheses

Introduction Total ankle arthroplasty is increasingly used as an alternative to arthrodesis to treat advanced ankle arthritis. However, the outcomes and postoperative complications are poorly described. Patients and methods Between March 2005 and May 2010 114 S.T.A.R. prostheses were implanted by one surgeon at our institution. We retrospectively analysed the demographics, clinical outcomes and radiographic characteristics of 100 ankle prostheses (97 patients). Results The average follow up was 36 months. The average preoperative AOFAS score of 36.87 (22–58) significantly increased to 75.99 postoperative. A total of 87 % of the patients reported a better life quality. Twenty-seven ankles incurred complications after primary surgery, and 21 prostheses required revision surgery, including four patients who required arthrodesis. Conclusion Our study shows a high satisfaction rate after total ankle replacement and clear pain relief. Patients with a body mass Index higher than 30 showed a higher rate of complications. Compared with ankle fusion, the rates of complications are comparable.