Instructional Lecture. Can the Ankle Joint Be Replaced? Yes

Abstract

The literature on ankle replacements includes many statements, none of which have been subjected to comparative analysis. They are based on re sults of the first-generation ankle prosthesis. These had several things in common: they did not respect normal ankle kinematics, they used rather large bone resections, they changed the level of the ankle axis, and they were unable to correct angulations in the ankle joint to any significant degree. The mediocre outcome of most of these efforts led the orthopaedic community to abandon ankle replacement. This was firmly expressed in an editorial asking “Can the ankle joint be replaced?” [1] and in another paper titled “Ankle prosthesis: a joint too far” [2]. The time has come to challenge this concept On the basis of more than 100 consecutive cases of ankle arthroplasty in a prospective series, with up to 15 years follow-up, it is possible to analyse the most frequent sayings about ankle arthroplasty Some of the previous papers given during this congress have already an swered some questions and I shall only briefly repeat their conclusions.