Total ankle replacement or ankle fusion in painful advanced hemophilic arthropathy of the ankle.

In advanced painful hemophilic arthropathy of the ankle, the last resort is surgical treatment (ankle arthrodesis [AA] or total ankle replacement [TAR]). There is a controversy in the literature on which of the two procedures is more appropriate. A review of the literature was performed to clarify such a controversy. The first search engine was MedLine (keywords: total ankle replacement, ankle arthrodesis). Seventy articles were found in MedLine. Of these, only 16 were selected and reviewed because they were strictly focused on the topic of this article. The second search engine was the Cochrane Library, where only nine systematic reviews were found on the role of TAR and AA in non-hemophilia patients. TAR and AA provide pain relief and patient satisfaction in hemophilia patients in the short term. The available non-hemophilia literature is insufficient to conclude which treatment is superior. My current view is that AA may be preferable in most hemophilia patients.