Proprioception after total ankle arthroplasty.
BACKGROUND
Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is becoming an effective treatment for end-stage ankle arthritis. It is unknown if TAA alters the patient's ability to sense ankle joint position.


METHODS
Thirteen unilateral TAA patients with a minimum of 2-years followup completed proprioceptive testing of the TAA and the contralateral side. The task was to reproduce a given ankle angle using a joystick-driven device while the lower limb was obscured from view. Nine angles were tested, including two angles in dorsiflexion, three in plantarflexion, two in inversion, and two in eversion. A repeated-measures ANOVA was used to evaluate the results.


RESULTS
No statistically significant differences between the TAA ankle and the contralateral side were found.


CONCLUSIONS
TAA does not cause a change in proprioceptive abilities in arthritis patients when compared to the contralateral, unaffected side in a small sample of unilateral patients. Surgeons and rehabilitation professionals may use this information when designing rehabilitation plans following the insertion of a TAA.
Conti
Stephen F
SF
Orthopaedic Surgery, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Dazen
Derek
D
Stewart
Gary
G
Green
Aron
A
Martin
Rob
R
Kuxhaus
Laurel
L
Carl Miller
Mark
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D001168:Arthritis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D019643:Arthroplasty, Replacement; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D016896:Treatment Outcome