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Suggest Treatment For Ankle Arthritis
Question: I have severe left ankle arthritis which limits my favorite activities...golf and tennis. I usually play 3 to 4 times per week. The pain is mostly in my Achilles tendon, Achilles tendonitis, but I get substantial swelling on the left side of my ankle.
Cortisone injections helped at first, but are no longer effective.
x rays show I have no cartilage, so it is bone on bone. My doctor recommends ankle replacement, but I am leery of the potential risks. I have had a very successful partial right knee replacement 4 years ago, a very successful right toe replacement 10 years ago and a very successful discectomy 20 years ago. I am 74, but in excellent shape. I feel that I may be pressing my luck with ankle replacement. What are my alternatives?
Thanks,
XXXXXXX XXXX - YYYY@YYYY
Cortisone injections helped at first, but are no longer effective.
x rays show I have no cartilage, so it is bone on bone. My doctor recommends ankle replacement, but I am leery of the potential risks. I have had a very successful partial right knee replacement 4 years ago, a very successful right toe replacement 10 years ago and a very successful discectomy 20 years ago. I am 74, but in excellent shape. I feel that I may be pressing my luck with ankle replacement. What are my alternatives?
Thanks,
XXXXXXX XXXX - YYYY@YYYY
Brief Answer:
Ankle Arthrodesis or Ankle boot
Detailed Answer:
Hi there.
Thanks for the query.
You have an option of ankle Arthrodesis, which involves fusing the ankle joint. This will lead to loss of ankle movements after surgery so your ankle will be stiff forever. But pain of the arthritis will be controlled to a great degree.
You can try using ankle foot orthosis (AFO) boot to reduce the stress in the ankle as well.
I hope I have answered your query.
I will be available to answer your follow up queries.
Regards,
Dr. Aashish Raghu
Ankle Arthrodesis or Ankle boot
Detailed Answer:
Hi there.
Thanks for the query.
You have an option of ankle Arthrodesis, which involves fusing the ankle joint. This will lead to loss of ankle movements after surgery so your ankle will be stiff forever. But pain of the arthritis will be controlled to a great degree.
You can try using ankle foot orthosis (AFO) boot to reduce the stress in the ankle as well.
I hope I have answered your query.
I will be available to answer your follow up queries.
Regards,
Dr. Aashish Raghu
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Answered by
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