Proprioception after total ankle arthroplasty.

Abstract

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