FAI August 2025 Podcast: Trajectory of Recovery Following Total Ankle Arthroplasty Using Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS)

Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is a common method of treatment for end-stage ankle arthritis (ESAA). The utilization of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) allows for standardized assessment of patient-driven outcomes, but few studies have been published on outcomes of TAA using PROMIS. The purpose of this study was to describe the recovery trajectory of patients undergoing TAA for ESAA for up to 1 year after surgery using PROMIS scores for physical function (PF), pain interference (PI), and depression (DP). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that patients who underwent primary TAA have improvements in PROMIS scores at several different time points up to 1 year after surgery. Patients can expect an improvement in pain and function from baseline within 3 months from surgery. Most improvements occur within the first 6 months. More than half of the patients will achieve a PF and PI score within 1 SD of the national average by 6 months, but it can take up to a year for most patients to reach this. Understanding the trajectory of patient recovery at different time points after primary TAA can help set patient expectations and guide intervention.   Click here to read the article.