School of Podiatric Medicine - Student Research

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

Fall 7-31-2026

Abstract

Introduction: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a rare but devastating complication following total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). Acute infections are commonly managed with debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR), in which irrigation plays a critical role in reducing bacterial burden. Although irrigation protocols have been investigated in total hip and total knee arthroplasty, evidence specific to infected TAA remains unclear. This systematic review evaluated the available literature regarding irrigation practices in the surgical management of infected TAA.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. PubMed and Scopus were search for English-language studies published between December 2005 and December 2025. Search terms included combined keywords and Boolean operators and phrases related to total ankle, infection, periprosthetic joint infection, and irrigation. Studies involving irrigation during surgical treatment of infected TAA were considered. Duplicate records, non-English studies, pediatric studies, animal studies, book chapters, and studies lacking relevant data were excluded.

Results: Eighty-three records were identified. After removal of 53 duplicates, 30 remained for screening.  Following title and abstract review, 14 studies were excluded. Full-text review was performed on 16 articles, including 5 identified through reference screening. All 16 studies were excluded because they lacked sufficient data regarding irrigation protocols or relevant clinical outcomes in infected TAA. No studies met the predefined inclusion criteria.

Conclusion: No published studies were identified evaluating irrigation solutions, techniques, or volumes in the management of infected TAA. This absence of evidence highlights a significant knowledge gap and underscores the need for future multicenter studies to establish evidence-based irrigation protocols for infected total ankle arthroplasty.

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