Etiology of Ankle Osteoarthritis

• Published in: Clinical orthopaedics and related research Vol. 467; no. 7; pp. 1800 - 1806
• Main Authors: Valderrabano, Victor, Horisberger, Monika, Russell, Iain, Dougall, Hugh, Hintermann, Beat
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer-Verlag 01.07.2009; Springer; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ovid Technologies
• Subjects: Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Ankle Joint - diagnostic imaging; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - complications; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Clubfoot - complications; Clubfoot - epidemiology; Cohort Studies; Conservative Orthopedics; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Female; Fractures, Bone - complications; Fractures, Bone - epidemiology; Hematologic Diseases - complications; Hematologic Diseases - epidemiology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous. Osteoarticular involvement in other diseases; Original; Original Article; Orthopedics; Osteoarthritis; Osteoarthritis - diagnostic imaging; Osteoarthritis - epidemiology; Osteoarthritis - etiology; Osteochondrosis - complications; Osteochondrosis - epidemiology; Radiography; Risk Factors; Sports Medicine; Surgery; Surgical Orthopedics; Young Adult; Ankle Sprain; Ankle Fracture; Tibial Shaft Fracture; Osteochondritis Dissecans; Total Ankle Arthroplasty; Ankle; Ankle joint; Etiology; Orthopedics; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Arthropathy; Degenerative disease; Osteoarthritis
• ISSN: 0009-921X; 1528-1132
• DOI: 10.1007/s11999-008-0543-6

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the distribution rate of etiologies leading to ankle arthritis and to quantify and compare the important clinical and radiologic variables among these etiologic groups. We evaluated data from 390 patients (406 ankles) who consulted our center because of painful end-stage ankle osteoarthritis (OA) by using medical history, physical examination, and radiography. Posttraumatic ankle OA was seen in 78% of the cases (n = 318), secondary arthritis in 13% (n = 52), and primary OA in 9% (n = 36). The average American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot score was 38 points (range, 0–74 points), range of motion was 22° (range, 0°−65°), and visual analog scale for pain was 6.8 (range, 2–10). Patients with posttraumatic end-stage ankle OA were younger than patients with primary OA. The average tibiotalar alignment was 88° (range, 51°–116°) and did not differ between the etiologic groups. Our study showed trauma is the main cause of ankle OA and primary OA is rare. In the majority of patients with ankle OA the average tibiotalar alignment is varus regardless of the underlying etiology. Level of Evidence: Level IV, prognostic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.