Ankle Function and Sports Activity After Total Ankle Arthroplasty

Background: The return to sporting activities after ankle arthroplasty has rarely been evaluated. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate function and return to sports after total ankle arthroplasty. Materials and Methods: One hundred seventy-nine Salto Total Ankle Arthroplasties (TAA) were implanted between 1997 and 2005. A self-administered questionnaire including the Foot Function Index (FFI) and Foot and Ankle Ability Measurement (FAAM) was sent to all patients. At last followup, six were deceased, 22 were not available for evaluation, and six questionnaires were incomplete. One hundred forty-five questionnaires were available. The mean age was 60.9 years and the mean followup was 53.8 months. The main indications for TAA were osteoarthritis (OA) in 100 cases and Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 40 cases. Results: 15.2% of the patients said that their operated ankle was "normal"; 60.7% "nearly normal"; 20% "abnormal" and 4.1% "highly abnormal." The FFI scores were 13.7 +/- 17 for "activity limitations", 31.7 +/- 23 for "disability" and 16.9 +/- 19 for "pain". The FAAM scores were 74.9 +/- 18 for activities of daily living and 48.9 +/- 28 for sports activities. On a Visual Analog Scales (0 to 100 were 100 is the "pre-pathology level") the mean rating was 70.2 +/- 19.6 for Activities of Daily Living and 53.7 +/- 28 for sport activities. In the OA patients, 38 regularly road bicycle, 21 perform recreational gymnastics, 58 swimming, 50 home gardening, 27 dancing, and 43 hiking. Seven patients regularly practice tennis, nine cross-country skiing, 17 downhill skiing, and six regularly run more than 500 m. Conclusion: This study showed that TAA improved the quality of life and that return to recreational activities was generally possible but the return to impact sport was rarely possible.