Introduction: There are minimal data comparing complications between ankle arthrodesis (AA) versus total ankle arthroplasty (TAR) for operative management of primary osteoarthritis (OA). This study aimed to compare outcomes following AA versus TAR for primary ankle OA using a large patient database.
Methods: Patients who received AA or TAR for primary ankle OA from 2010 to 2019 were queried from PearlDiver. Rates of common joint complications were compared at 90 days, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively using multivariable logistic regression.
Results: A total of 1136 (67%) patients received AA and 584 (33%) patients underwent TAR. Patients that received AA exhibited significantly higher rates of at least one common joint complication at 90 days (19.3% vs 12.6%; odds ratio [OR] 1.69), 1 year (25.6% vs 15.0%; OR 2.00), and 2 years (26.9% vs 16.2%; OR 1.91) postoperatively. This included higher rates of adjacent fusion or osteotomy procedures, periprosthetic fractures, and hardware removal at each postoperative follow-up (all P < .05). Rates of prosthetic joint infection were comparable at 2 years postoperatively (4.3% vs 4.2%; OR 0.91).
Conclusion: The AA cohort exhibited higher rates of postoperative joint complications in the short and medium-term, namely, subsequent fusions or osteotomies, periprosthetic fractures, and hardware removal.
Levels of evidence: Level III.
Keywords: ankle arthrodesis; arthritis; complications; outcomes; total ankle arthroplasty.