A Comparison of Outcomes of Revision Surgical Options for the Treatment of Failed Bulk Talar Allograft Transfer: A Systematic Review

Talar bulk osteochondral allograft transplantation is a useful treatment strategy for large, uncontained osteochondral lesions of talus. Complications and high revision rates from osteochondral talar allograft transfer can be common. Talar graft failure is a devastating complication that results from failure of allograft incorporation within the host bone and subsequent resorption and sometimes subsidence can occur. Treatment options and outcomes for graft failure have rarely been reported. The purpose of this study is to evaluate treatment options and their outcomes for treating talar allograft failure. A systematic review was completed to find all reports of salvage treatments for talar graft failure and outcomes of these reports were analyzed. Eleven studies involving a total of 522 ankles, in 520 patients, met the inclusion criteria. The allograft failure rate was 11.5% in these studies with a reoperation rate of 18.9%. With limited reports, satisfactory outcomes for treatment of graft failure with ankle arthrodesis were 77.3%, 50% for revision allograft procedures, and 50% for total ankle arthroplasty. Considering the large failure rate and reoperation rate for bulk talar allograft transplantations, superior revision, and salvage options are needed. More prospective cohort studies focusing on consistent and standard outcome measures are needed to further assess revision options for failed talar allograft procedures.