Comparison of Total Ankle Replacement and Ankle Arthrodesis for Ankle Arthropathy in Patients With Bleeding Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: There is limited literature comparing the publications on ankle arthrodesis (AA) and total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) in the setting of hemophilic arthropathy. Our objective is to systematically review the existing literature and to assess ankle arthroplasty as an alternative to ankle arthrodesis in this patient population.

Methods: This systematic review was conducted and presented according to the PRISMA statement standards. A search was conducted on March 7-10, 2023, using MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Studies. This search was restricted to full-text human studies published in English, and articles were screened by 2 masked reviewers. Systematic reviews, case reports with less than 3 subjects, letters to the editor, and conference abstracts were excluded. Two independent reviewers rated study quality using the MINORS tool.

Results: Twenty-one of 1226 studies were included in this review. Thirteen articles reviewed the outcomes associated with AA in hemophilic arthropathy whereas 10 reviewed the outcomes associated with TAA. Two of our studies were comparative and reviewed the outcomes of both AA and TAA. Additionally, 3 included studies were prospective. Studies showed that the degree of improvement in American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society hindfoot-ankle score, visual analog scale pain scores, and the mental and physical component summary scores of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey were similar for both surgeries. Complication rates were also similar between the 2 surgeries. Additionally, studies showed a significant improvement in ROM after TAA.

Conclusion: Although the level of evidence in this review varies and results should be interpreted with caution, the current literature suggests similar clinical outcomes and complication rates between TAA and AA in this patient population.