Obese patients undergoing total ankle arthroplasty face an increased long-term risk of ankle implant failure if the implant has been in the patient for more than five years, according to new research from Foot & Ankle International.
Here are four notes:
1. Investigators reviewed the charts of TAA patients and separated them into two groups according to BMI. The reference group included patients with a BMI of less than 30, and the obesity group included patients with a BMI greater than or equal to 30.
2. The study found that 97 ankle replacements had a minimum five-year follow-up and 49 of these implants were in obese patients.
3. Although there was little difference in five-year implant failure between the BMI groups, there was a significantly higher risk of failure in obese patients at their final follow-up, at around 7.9 years from the time of the surgery.
4. Results suggest that obesity may negatively influence ankle replacement outcomes.