You may have been told by a doctor that you have arthritis.\u00a0 You may have figured this out for yourself too!\u00a0 Either way, you likely have pain, swelling, instability and stiffness (together) and difficulty with your normal activities because of the ankle.\u00a0 Arthritis tends to hurt more with changes in the weather and the ankle is often stiff in the mornings.\u00a0 You have tried over-the-counter medications and bracing but still have significant difficulties with the ankle.\u00a0 It is likely that you had a serious sprain or multiple sprains in the past; or you had a break (fracture) of the ankle.\u00a0 Most cases of ankle arthritis are due to prior trauma actually (about 80%).\u00a0 If indeed you have significant arthritis of the ankle that is symptomatic enough to change your lifestyle, you may benefit from an ankle replacement.<\/p>\n
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If you have been diagnosed with ankle arthritis, perhaps your doctor recommended a fusion (arthrodesis) of the ankle.\u00a0 This is a surgery whereby the cartilage that remains in the ankle is scraped off and the two bones of the ankle (tibia and talus) are connected to each other with metal plates and\/or screws.\u00a0 Although this has been the mainstay for treatment of end-stage ankle arthritis since the 1950s it is very limiting for two reasons.\u00a0 First, a fusion eliminates all ankle motion.\u00a0 Secondly, an ankle fusion puts a great deal of stress and strain on the other joints of the foot and then these become arthritic quicker and the pain simply shifts to different joints over time.\u00a0 If you are active and like to wear different types of shoes a fusion is likely not the best procedure for you.\u00a0 Many surgeons and doctors still believe that this is the only option for truly bad ankle arthritis, but technology has improved and surgical methods have become innovative and that is not, in fact, the only alternative available to you.\u00a0 A total ankle arthroplasty (replacement) is a great option in many cases.<\/p>\n
An ankle replacement surgery is similar in nature to a knee or hip replacement.\u00a0 Only the joint surfaces are replaced.\u00a0 Technology available today allows for customized instrumentation during surgery to ensure the fit and accuracy of the implant chosen for your ankle.\u00a0 This means the ankle replacement fits better and has a much better chance of lasting a very long time.\u00a0 The surgeon will essentially \u201cresurface\u201d your joint with smooth metal and plastic.\u00a0 This allows for you to maintain ankle motion for walking and such, while at the same time the pain from the arthritis is treated.\u00a0 Certain activities require a good deal of motion at the ankle and a fusion would not allow that.\u00a0 An ankle replacement can treat the arthritis but allow for more motion.\u00a0 Another benefit of a replacement over a fusion is that the remaining joints of the foot are protected from undue stress and strain with a replacement.\u00a0 This means the overall health of the foot is protected for longer if you have a total ankle replacement as opposed to a fusion.<\/p>\n
If you have serious and painful ankle arthritis but are looking for an alternative to a fusion of the ankle, please call Warner Orthopedics and Wellness.\u00a0 Dr. Meredith Warner is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with fellowship training in complex foot and ankle surgery.\u00a0 She is one of the few surgeons in the State of Louisiana qualified, certified and permitted to perform total ankle arthroplasty surgery.<\/p>\n
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You Have Ankle Arthritis You may have been told by a doctor that you have arthritis.\u00a0 You may have figured this out for yourself too!\u00a0 Either way, you likely have pain, swelling, instability and stiffness (together) and difficulty with your normal activities because of the ankle.\u00a0 Arthritis tends to hurt more with changes in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2244,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[10,15,16,17],"class_list":["post-2131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-article","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-medical"],"yoast_head":"\n