Current concepts review: total ankle arthroplasty.

Many orthopaedic surgeons had abandoned the use of first and second generation total ankle arthroplasties due to unacceptably high complication and failure rates as compared to arthrodesis. Recently, there has been renewed interest in ankle joint replacement as longer term outcome studies have become available, and the FDA has approved several more designs. With the introduction of two new FDA approved implants in November 2006, options for surgeons interested in total ankle arthroplasty have greatly expanded. There continues to be much debate within the orthopaedic community as to indications, patient selection, and optimal component design. This review aims to provide orthopaedists with an overview of the currently available implants and literature.