FEATURE — Ankle arthritis is most often caused by a prior injury or trauma to the ankle and the pain can be downright crippling, but there are a few options that can help bring patients some relief.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Aaron O’Brien of Revere Health said they will try less invasive options first by placing people in braces, either off-the-shelf braces or custom-made ones to help support the ankle.
“If those aren’t good enough, we will then maybe try a steroid type injection at the ankle,” O’Brien said. “They usually last a few months at a time.”
If in the unfortunate cases where conservative treatment options have failed, O’Brien said the next step could be to attempt some form of surgery like an ankle fusion or total ankle replacement.
In an ankle fusion surgery, the two bones that normally move become fused together. This requires the physician to go inside and place hardware on the bones that will make them grow together by keeping them stiff for a period of time.
O’Brien said over the past 10-15 years, ankle replacement surgeries have become more popular but a lot of people may not have heard about them. It involves a complete replacement of the arthritic body part.
“The arthritic joint is removed and a new joint is placed in, with some metal pieces that go on the tibia and talus and a plastic piece that goes in between which then allows the ankle to move in a natural way,” he said.
Following an ankle replacement surgery, the area is immobilized for about three weeks to allow the incisions to heal and then weight bearing and ankle motion is slowly advanced during the healing. Patients normally start recovery in a cast before moving to a boot brace and within six weeks transition back into shoes.
“Most people report very minimal pain with this surgery and by about three months most people are back to a lot of their activities they enjoy,” O’Brien said.
If you are experiencing ankle pain or discomfort it is important to seek the advice of medical professional such as an orthopedic surgeon like the ones at Revere Health.
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