Throughout time, a decade marks how long it takes to gain mastery. It highlights the maturation, resilience and impact of an individual, group, company or product.
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Legacy of
Clinical Use
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Global Vantage
Ankle Cases
2016
Vantage Ankle
Inception
For more than 10 years, the Vantage® Total Ankle System has transformed the lives of patients across the world. More than 11,000 Vantage Ankle cases have been performed globally, helping patients get back to what they love.
As we reflect on a decade of clinical use, we want to celebrate the Vantage Ankle legacy, impact and vision for the next 10 years.
The Vantage Legacy – A New Perspective in Total Ankle Arthroplasty (TAA)
In 2016, a team of world-class global surgeon thought leaders and engineers gathered to ask, “can we do better” in TAA surgery. The result of their collaboration was the creation of a new total ankle implant system designed to address then-current clinical challenges. The Vantage Ankle design goals were straightforward – address subsidence, implant loosening, bone cysts, instability, polyethylene revision and impingement.
“When we started conceptualizing what the Vantage Ankle would look like 10 years ago, we wanted to ensure we were designing a product that truly addressed challenges we all faced in the O.R., and not another me-too solution. Using those issues as our guides, we created a product that has withstood the test of time,” said James DeOrio, MD, of Duke Health. “I’m proud to offer my patients a solution that I feel is world-class in total ankle arthroplasty and have seen firsthand how it positively impacts their lives.”
The original Vantage Ankle surgeon design team (left to right, top to bottom): Prof. Victor Valderrabano, MD, PhD, Mark Easley, MD, James Nunley, MD, and James DeOrio, MD
The system first launched in the U.S. with a low-profile tibial component, polyethylene liner, unique locking clip and curved talus implant, followed by its mobile-bearing counterpart in Europe. The Vantage Ankle Mobile Bearing System was recently awarded a 3A* rating by the Orthopaedic Data Evaluation Panel (ODEP), a widely respected U.K. benchmark for orthopedic implant performance and longevity. The 3A* rating reflects strong clinical evidence supporting the system’s performance over time.
X-rays from one of the first Vantage Ankle cases performed by Mark Easley, MD
Since its inception, the Vantage Ankle portfolio has grown to include new enabling technologies like surgical navigation, as well as vitamin E stabilized polyethylene, stemmed tibias and patient-specific instrumentation.
The Vantage Impact
Several papers have highlighted the clinical impact of the Vantage Ankle:
Independent retrospective study performed by Aaron T. Scott, MD, Matthew A. King, DPM, and Bryanna D. Vesley, DPM, at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Salem, N.C. All surgeries were performed by Dr. Scott, an independent researcher.
Includes 22 consecutive patients with an average of 24.6 months follow-up
Study reported positive results and demonstrated a reduction in pain scores, low complication rates and a 100 percent implant survivorship at short-term follow-up.
All surgeries were performed by Vantage Ankle design team surgeon Prof. Victor Valderrabano, MD, PhD.
Includes 49 consecutive patients with a one-year minimum follow-up
Study reported no revisions, statistically significant decreases in pain scores (p < 0.00001) and statistically significant increases in range of motion, both compared to pre-operative results (p < 0.00001 and p < 0.0001, respectively).
All surgeries were performed by independent researcher Massimiliano Mosca, MD, of Italy’s Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli.
Includes 39 patients with a one-year minimum follow-up
Study reported no revisions, statistically significant decreases in pain scores and statistically significant increases in range of motion, both compared to pre-operative results (p < 0.05).
Prospective study co-authored by Vantage Ankle design team surgeon Victor Valderrabano, MD, PhD, and features use of the Vantage Ankle Mobile Bearing System.
Includes 103 patients (105 implants) with an average follow-up of 2.9 years
Study reported 54.3% increase in sports activity among participants post-surgery (p<0.001 compared to pre-operatively), as well as significant improvements in motion (mean DF/PF ROM was 24.9° preoperative [range, 0–60°] and 52.9° postoperative [range, 15–85°; p < 0.001], AOFAS Ankle/Hindfoot functional scores [preoperative 39.5 points versus 97.8 points postoperatively; p < 0.001] and pain [preoperative 6.7 points [range, 3–10 points] versus 0.2 points postoperatively; p < 0.001]).
One notable finding includes a large increase in hiking among patients, suggesting a regain of confidence in weight-bearing recreational activities.
In addition to the above data, the Vantage Ankle has revolutionized TAA with its introduction of the world’s first navigation system for TAA, Advita GPS™ Ankle.
GPS Ankle first launched in 2024 and is compatible with the Vantage Ankle system.
GPS Ankle is a first-of-its-kind technology, which connects the preoperative plan with real-time intraoperative instrument guidance and confirms that resections meet the surgical plan. The system, developed by Advita Ortho subsidiary Blue Ortho, uses proprietary active tracker technology and a compact touchscreen tablet in the sterile field to provide surgeons with dynamic intraoperative feedback throughout their cases. Based on pre-clinical bench testing and sawbones studies, it reports an accuracy of 2mm and 2 degrees relative to the CT-surgical plan.5-7 Its integrated CT visibility may also reduce potential fluoroscopy time.
“GPS Ankle provides intraoperative flexibility to confirm resections and alter a variety of factors like implant size and degrees of rotation. Its touchscreen technology within the sterile field and availability without capital cost make it a no brainer for me, and I’m proud to have been part of the design team of this unique technology,” said Prof. Victor Valderrabano, MD, PhD, of the Swiss Ortho Center Clinic in Basel, Switzerland.
What’s Ahead
On the horizon are several exciting advancements for GPS Ankle, including the addition of a preoperative planning app, the introduction of more 3D-printed implants and a revision system.
“What excites me most about the future of the Vantage Ankle is how we’re building on our proven foundation and continuing to ask, ‘can we do better.’ We’re focused on leveraging the latest data, surgical technologies and clinical feedback to create orthopedic solutions that not only enhance surgical performance but also address unmet clinical needs,” said Advita Ortho Director of Engineering and Development Matt Hamilton.
“There is tremendous opportunity to help patients move with greater confidence, comfort and freedom, and we can’t wait for the next 10 years.”
King M., Vesley B., Scott A. Early Outcomes with the Vantage Total Ankle Prosthesis. 2022. Foot & Ankle Surgery: Techniques, Reports & Cases. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fastrc.2021.100121.
Alsayel F. et al. l. Mobile Anatomical Total Ankle Arthroplasty – Improvement of Talus Recentralization. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2021 Feb; 10 (3):554. https://dx.doi.org/10.3390%2Fjcm10030554
Mosca M. et al. Clinical Radiographical Outcomes and Complications After a Brand-New Total Ankle Replacement Design Through an Anterior Approach: A Retrospective Short-Term Follow-Up. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2021 Jun; 10 (11):2258. https://dx.doi.org/10.3390%2Fjcm10112258.
Santini S, Marinozzi A, Talia AJ, Herrera-Rodríguez A, Herrera-Pérez M, Valderrabano V. Sports Activity with Ankle Osteoarthritis and Total Ankle Arthroplasty. J Clin Med. 2024 Nov 24;13(23):7099. doi: 10.3390/jcm13237099. PMID: 39685558; PMCID: PMC11641999.
Rueff MC, Tupper Z, Hamilton M, Chinimilli P, Gulbransen S, Prouvost L, Haupt ET, Angibaud L, Ing. D. Accuracy and Precision
Evaluation of Image-Based Computer Assisted Surgical System for Total Ankle Arthroplasty. Foot Ankle Orthop. 2024 Dec 19;9(4):2473011424S00123. doi: 10.1177/2473011424S00123. PMCID: PMC11660383.
Rueff MC, Tupper Z, Hamilton M, et al. Evaluation of Error Sources for an Image-Based Computer Assisted Surgical System for Total Ankle Arthroplasty. Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics.2024;9(4). doi:10.1177/2473011424S00276.
Lopez R, Herbel C, Rueff M, Tupper Z, Hamilton M, Gulbransen S, Diep P, Angibaud L, Haupt E. Accuracy and Precision of Computer-Assisted Surgery Compared with Conventional Instrumentation for Total Ankle Arthroplasty. Foot Ankle Orthop. 2025 Dec 23;10(4):2473011425S00107. doi: 10.1177/2473011425S00107. PMCID: PMC12743987.
The Vantage Ankle is manufactured by Exactech, Inc. and distributed by Advita Ortho, LLC. Advita GPS is manufactured by Blue Ortho SAS, an Advita Ortho subsidiary, and distributed by Advita Ortho, LLC. Visit advita.com for information on product availability in your country.
