• Antonio Mazzotti, Elena Artioli, Isabella Giannini, Simone Ottavio Zielli, Alberto Arceri, Laura Langone, and Cesare Faldini.
• IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, 1st Orthopaedic and Traumatologic Clinic, Via Giulio Cesare Pupilli 1, 40136, Bologna, Italy.
• Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2024 Mar 1; 144 (3): 107110761071-1076.

IntroductionWhile the efficacy of closed suction drains has been extensively studied in hip, knee, and shoulder surgery, it lacks scientific evidence in the foot and ankle domain, especially after total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). Thus, this study aims to compare the incidence of postoperative complications with and without the application of a closed suction drain following TAA.Materials And MethodsA retrospective monocentric chart review of all patients who had undergone TAA with an anterior approach from January 2020 to March 2023 was performed. Data were analyzed to assess the effect of drain usage on postoperative complications.ResultsA total of 110 patients were enrolled, 59 in the drain group and 51 without a drain. The mean age at surgery was 58.4 (range 28-81) years. No statistical differences were found between the two groups in the total complication rate (19.6% in no-drain group versus 20.3% in drain group, p = 0.227).ConclusionThis study showed no effect of applying a closed suction drain after TAA in the incidence of postoperative complications. Since the use of a drain did not negatively affect the outcome, nor did it provide a significant benefit, it can be asserted that there is no evidence to support the routine use of closed suction drains in TAA.© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

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