Component Loosening A Source of TAR Revision in long-term follow-up

As reported on Orthosupersite.com, Swiss investigators presenting at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in February described aseptic loosening, talar component subsidence and progressive joint instability as the main factors contributing to the 34.9% revision rate they observed with a three-component total ankle replacement prosthesis. Samuel Brunner, MD, of Zurich, followed 72 patients who underwent total ankle replacement (TAR) with the Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement (STAR, SBI) over a period of 14 years. Brunner and colleagues defined revision as any component exchange or conversion to ankle fusion and of these, aseptic loosening accounted for 75% of the revisions. According to Brunner,  “Patients with revision were considerably younger at 50.9 years at implantation than those without revision at 58.5 [years].” Based on these results, the investigators recommended against the use of hydroxyapatite-coated implants in TAR.

Reference:

Brunner S, et al. 10 to 14 year survivorship of a current 3-component total ankle prosthesis. Paper #55. Presented at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Feb. 15-19, 2011. San Diego.


See more information about the Small Bone Innovations: Star Ankle as well as other Total Ankle Replacement Implant options on the TAR Ankle Joint Implant Page.