Background
The purpose of the present study was to report on the frequency of reoperation, failure and patient satisfaction after the Mobility total ankle arthroplasty.
Methods
Sixty‐two consecutive primary total ankle arthroplasties in 60 patients were performed with the use of the DePuy Mobility total ankle system between February 2006 and January 2009. Fifty‐eight ankles in 56 patients were followed up between 14 and 49 months (mean: 32 months).
Results
Eighteen ankles (31%) underwent an initial reoperation at a mean time of 14 months after primary total ankle arthroplasty. Only three ankles (17%) had improved symptoms after initial reoperation. Eight of these 18 ankles (44%) underwent a second reoperation. A total of seven ankles (12%) had been revised. Overall, 67% were satisfied, and 79% stated that they would undergo the same operation again.
Discussion
This study on a third‐generation total ankle arthroplasty reported a relatively high rate of reoperation. There was a significant increase in the reported failure when using re‐operation rather than component revision as the end point. This may be one of the inherent limitations in Joint Registry data that only include component revision.