A total ankle replacement is joint replacement surgery of the ankle joint. When more conservative treatments for arthritis fail to satisfactorily relieve joint pain, it may be time for patients to consider joint surgery. It's important to understand the various types of joint surgery.
Total ankle replacements have been available for more than 30 years -- but early designs were failures. In the 1970s, ankle replacements were touted as promising -- but by the 1980s ankle replacements were rarely performed due to their high failure rate. More recently, ankle replacements have made a comeback. There are 4 ankle prostheses that have been FDA-approved and a couple of others under study in the United States.
If you are experiencing severe ankle pain from arthritis, you may be a candidate for ankle replacement. The other surgical option is ankle fusion (arthrodesis). Ankle replacement allows you to retain more mobility and movement in the ankle compared to ankle fusion. But not every patient is an appropriate candidate for ankle replacement. Learn more about your ankle replacement options in Ankle Replacement Designs - What You Need to Know.
Related Resources:
- More About Ankle Pain
- What Is Joint Replacement Surgery?
- Joint Replacement - When Is the Right Time?
- Ankle Fusion - What You Need to Know
- Ankle Osteoarthritis - What You Need to Know
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