Total ankle arthroplasty: a review of 11 current ankle implants.

Introduced in the early 1970s, total ankle arthroplasty offered patients with debilitating ankle arthritis reduction in pain and almost normal mobility at the ankle joint. The idea of replacing an arthritic ankle joint with a mobile ankle prosthesis was originally welcomed to replace ankle arthrodesis. Unfortunately, high failure rates of first-generation implants led many surgeons in the United States to recommend ankle arthrodesis as the best alternative. An improved understanding of ankle joint mechanics, implant material and design, and surgical technique has led to the development of several second-generation implants that are being used successfully throughout the world. As short-term, mid-term, and long-term results continue to be published, there has been a momentous change in the outlook of total ankle arthroplasty as a viable option to ankle arthrodesis.