Ankle Replacement Implant

            An ankle replacement or ankle arthroplasty is the treatment for arthritis of the ankle joint caused by osteoarthritis, post-traumatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Loss of articular cartilage leads to bone-on-bone contact, which results in inflammation and pain. Cartilage, which provides a very low friction bearing surface, has been difficult to replicate. The articulating surfaces currently used in total ankle replacements still experience significant levels of friction and resistance to sliding that can lead to problems with implant wear and loosening. 

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            Our novel design addresses these problems by restoring a low friction bearing interface with the use of ball bearings. By utilizing low friction ball bearings and changing the material bearing surface to ceramic-on-ceramic, our design decreases wear and wear particle debris. An additional novel design change in our implant is the use of chevron-shaped keels on both the tibial and talar components to enhance stability at the bone interface and further reduce loosening. With these changes, our total ankle replacement (TAR) can hope to achieve longer survivorship, making it a better option for younger, more active patients suffering from post-traumatic ankle arthritis.