Short Term Complications Following Total Ankle Arthroplasty and Associated Risk Factors: A NSQIP Database Analysis

Abstract

Category: Ankle; Ankle Arthritis; Diabetes Introduction/Purpose: Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) has become increasingly utilized over the past 20 years to treat osteoarthritis of the ankle. The efficacy and safety of this procedure has been previously reported, but relatively few studies have documented the risk of post-operative complications associated with TAA over the past 10 years. Thus, the aim of this study is to provide a current report on the safety of TAA, particularly in association with a number of preoperative risk factors. Methods: A retrospective review of all patients in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database who underwent TAA between 2012-2018 was performed. A total of 1333 patients were included in this analysis. Penalized logistic regression to consider small numbers of the postoperative complications was used to identify factors associated with incidence of the complications. Results: The rate of readmission and superficial wound infection were found to be 1.4% and 0.6%, respectively. Risk factors associated with a prolonged hospital stay were Black race, Hispanic race, and smoking (Fig. 1). Diabetes was associated with a significantly increased risk of readmission. Age, sex, BMI, and steroid use were not associated with increased risk of postoperative complications. Conclusion: In this study, the rate of surgical site infection and readmission in TAA was found to be relatively low, compared to published data on TKA and THA. Both race and smoking increase the risk of prolonged hospital stay, while diabetes increases the risk of readmission.