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In an ideal world, our joints go the distance, carrying us comfortably through life. Unfortunately, wear and tear over the years can catch up with your joints in the form of osteoarthritis (OA), which affects more than 32.5 million American adults. And this number is only going to rise in the coming years thanks to an aging population.
If you have ankle arthritis that’s getting worse and limiting your ability to function, it may be time to consider replacing the joint. Each year in the United States, about 10,000 ankle replacements are performed, helping scores of patients to get back on their feet and moving freely again.
At Western Orthopaedics, our highly skilled team has a good deal of experience when it comes to joint replacement, including ankle arthroscopy. Below, we outline a few criteria that indicate you should consider ankle replacement.
The first thing to understand about ankle OA is that the disease is progressive, and whatever damage has already occurred is irreversible. With OA, protective cartilage that covers the bones inside the joint breaks down, which can lead to pain and inflammation.
At first, these symptoms often come and go with activity — your ankles might hurt after a long day on your feet. As the disease progresses, the discomfort can become more constant, and even a quick walk around the block is something you dread.
At this point, total ankle replacement might be the best way to get you moving without pain again.
Before we recommend total ankle arthroscopy, we make sure we’ve exhausted more conservative treatments, such as:
These treatments can go a long way toward containing your OA, but they can fall short after a certain point, usually when there’s no cartilage left and you just have bone-on-bone contact in your ankle(s).
If you’re used to leading an active life and ankle arthritis has you sidelined, total ankle replacement may make good sense. As orthopedic specialists, we understand the myriad benefits of an active lifestyle, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
So, if you rely on a game of pickle ball to keep you fit and to relieve stress, but you haven’t been playing because of ankle OA, it might be time to consider joint replacement.
An elective surgery like joint replacement should only be considered if you’re in good health. If you have a preexisting health concern that can make surgery and recovery more challenging, we may not recommend total ankle replacement.
At the end of the day, only you can make this important decision, but we’re happy to guide you in this process.
To sit down with one of our ankle specialists to discuss joint replacement, contact one of our offices in Arvada or Denver, Colorado, to schedule an appointment.
