Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), can manifest as an inflammatory arthropathy in the ankle. As a result, this study sought to examine the role of RA with respect to complications in patients undergoing either total ankle arthroplasty or ankle arthrodesis by utilizing the National Inpatient Sample to assess for correlations.
Admissions for TAA and AA were extracted from the National Inpatient Sample using primary ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes. Patients aged 18-65 years with a duration of hospital stay of >3 days and isolated complications were included. Multivariable regression was then performed within matched groups to determine differences.
There was decreased risk of myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, surgical site infection, and urinary tract infection in patients with RA. Postoperative development of pneumonia was seen at a higher rate in patients with RA.
RA is not associated with a markedly increased complication burden in the appropriately chosen surgical candidate for ankle arthrodesis and ankle arthroplasty.