Joint-Preserving Surgery in Varus Ankle Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Ankle deformity is a disabling condition especially if concomitant with osteoarthritis (OA). Varus ankle OA is one of the most common ankle OA deformities. This deformity usually leads to unequal load distribution in the ankle joint and decreases joint contact surface area, leading to a progressive degenerative arthritic situation. Varus ankle OA might have multiple causative factors, which might present as a single isolated factor or encompassed together in a single patient. The etiologies can be classified as post-traumatic (e.g., after fractures and lateral ligament instability), degenerative, systemic, neuromuscular, congenital, and others. Treatment options are determined by the degree of the deformity and analyzing the pathology, which range from the conservative treatments up to surgical interventions. Surgical treatment of the varus ankle OA can be classified into two categories, joint-preserving surgery (JPS) and joint-sacrificing surgery (JSS) as total ankle arthroplasty and ankle arthrodesis. JPS is a valuable treatment option in varus ankle OA, which should not be neglected since it has showed a promising result, optimizing biomechanics and improving the survivorship of the ankle joint.