One common cause of ankle pain is arthritis, which can affect individuals well before retirement age. Several treatments are available for ankle arthritis. Ankle replacement surgery, or arthroplasty, involves replacing damaged cartilage and bones with a metal and plastic prosthesis, enhancing the patient’s range of motion and offering a relatively quick recovery period. Another option is ankle fusion, or arthrodesis, which involves cleaning out and fusing the ankle bones using bone grafts, screws, and plates. Although this limits the joint’s movement and alters the patient’s gait, it can relieve pain. Ankle distraction arthroplasty is a more intricate procedure that preserves the joint’s flexibility by restoring rather than replacing it. For those in the early stages of arthritis, ankle arthroscopic repair can help regain range of motion and reduce pain through a laparoscopic procedure that cleans out the affected joint, although it is ineffective if too much cartilage has worn away.
source: https://myfootdoc.com/get-to-know-your-treatment-options-for-ankle-arthritis/
Comments
Download this infographic.