Purpose of Technology

Total ankle replacement involves the surgical removal of a dysfunctional, painful ankle joint and its replacement with a prosthetic device. The purpose of total ankle replacement is to relieve pain and restore joint function in patients with medically refractory, end-stage degenerative joint disease resulting from conditions such as osteoarthritis, posttraumatic osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis.

Questions addressed in this report include:

• Does TAR reduce pain and improve ankle and proximal joint motility, and how do the different implants compare with each other?
• How does TAR compare with ankle fusion?
• What is the durability of the implants?
• What complications are associated with TAR?
• Have definitive patient selection criteria been established for TAR?

These questions provide a framework for review and synthesis of the best available evidence, which is presented in this report, along with the Hayes Ratings for the technology. This report also provides background information about the condition being treated, a description of the technology, and the context for development of the technology. Other key elements addressed in the report include the regulatory status; applicable Medicare and commercial payer coverage policies; relevant ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnosis codes; cost and cost effectiveness; credentialing; hospital length of stay; need for large case management; and ongoing and future clinical trials of the technology.

Posted in Directory Reports
This entry was posted on Saturday, December 24th, 2011 at 8:00 am.