For patients undergoing total ankle arthroplasty (TAA), the impact of obesity on outcomes is unclear, according to two studies published in Foot & Ankle International. In the first study, Billy I. Kim and colleagues conducted a single-institution, retrospective study of 1,093 primary TAA performed between 2001 and 2020 with minimum follow-up for 2 years. The authors stratified patients by BMI into control, obesity class I, and obesity class II (BMI, 18.5-29.9, 30.0-34.9, and 35.0 kg/m2 or greater [615, 285, and 193 patients, respectively]). Across BMI classes, there were no statistically significant differences in postoperative complications (infection, implant failure, or impingement). For the second study, Toby Jennison, MBBS, PhD, and colleagues conducted a data linkage study combining the National Joint Registry Data and National Health Service Digital data to assess the risk factors for failure of total ankle replacements. The overall 5-year survival was 90.2%. Only age, BMI, and underlying etiology were associated with an increased risk for failure in multivariable models (HRs, 0.96, 1.03, and 0.88, respectively).
