Ankle Arthritis
Description:
Ankle arthritis is a medical problem that involves the interior surface of the ankle joint. This painful condition can be caused by normal aging or “wear and tear”, by an injury or by inflammatory diseases. The problem can involve the cartilage, the inner lining of the joint capsule, the bone foundation upon which the cartilage rests, ligaments that surround the joint, and the fluid within the joint.
This condition is associated with other foot/ankle conditions such as:
The pain is characterized as dull to sharp with the first few steps in the morning and also in the evening after increased activities or with minor relief as it is “warmed up” during light walking and massage.
Treatment: Conservative Care:
| Medications: | Oral anti-inflammatory medication (Eg. Ibuprofen, Naprosyn) aspirin products, and Acetaminophen can help with the chronic pain, but are not much help with the acute pain. |
| Immobilization / Arch support: | Immobilization can vary from ankle bracing that allow some motion to complete immobilization with a Cam walker. Temporary arch supports, supportive athletic shoes, and custom molded orthotics are a great way to reduce the amount of forces and excessive motion at the ankle joint and other supportive foot joints. |
| Injections: | Anti-inflammatory medicines can be directly put into the joint where it can be most effective without becoming a problem to the rest of the body. These injections can be administered with minimal discomfort. |
Surgical Options:
| Ankle Scope: | This procedure is the gold standard for diagnosing problems within the ankle joint. It allows a small camera to go into the ankle through two small 1 cm incisions to the front of the ankle. Any damage to the ankle joint cartilage and inner joint wall lining is cleaned up and removed. Walking in a removable cast is allowed after 3 to 14 days. |
| Ankle Fusion | This procedure is indicated for advanced arthritis and no relief of symptoms, restriction of joint motion or severe joint pain. After removal of remaining cartilage from the joint surfaces, internal fixation fuses the joint slightly less than 90 degrees from the leg to allow the front of the foot to clear the ground when walking. Non weight bearing in a cast is mandatory for 8 weeks and then full weight bearing at 12 weeks if there are no complications. |
| Ankle Replacement | Although many new ankle joint replacement devices are in production, the follow up studies and outcomes are not as successful as other joint replacement procedures like the knee and hip. Dr. Moore has opted to wait until better devices are on the market and does not perform this procedure at this time. |
