The Ankle Arthritis Score (AAS) is a new patient-reported outcome derived from the Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale (AOS). This study analyzed longitudinally collected data from a cohort of patients in the Canadian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (COFAS) Ankle Arthritis Study in order to evaluate whether the postoperative AAS is associated with need for revision surgery.

TAR patients who reported higher levels of postoperative functional impairment, as indicated by a higher AAS, were more likely to require metal-component revision surgery. After adjustment for other patient factors, the risk of revision surgery increased with length of follow-up after TAR. This study provides further evidence for the utility of the AAS in the clinical setting.

To view the article, click here.

Total joint surgeons have successfully performed hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasty procedures in the outpatient setting without compromising safety, satisfaction, or results. The purpose of this study was to evaluate outpatient total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) as compared with overnight or extended inpatient stay, with regard to 90-day medical and operative complications, reoperations, readmissions or emergency room visits, and pain control.

Eighty-one patients underwent TAA who met inclusion criteria, and 8 had a complication (10%). A significant difference in complication rate was seen among groups (P = .01) but not rate of readmission or reoperation. Of 16 patients, 5 (31%) who were admitted for 2 or more nights following surgery had a complication, as opposed to 3 of 65 (5%) who were outpatient or admitted overnight (P = .01). There were no differences in frequency of postoperative phone calls, narcotic refills, or visual analog scale pain scores at the first postoperative visit. There were no adverse medical events.

To view the article, click here.