The ankle is made up of three joints that connect the feet with the legs, making them important for balance and mobility.
Injuries to the ankle and feet are often not as serious to require surgery.
They can lead to pain and some loss of mobility, but they often do not prove serious enough to be treated through surgery.
However, in some cases, simple preventive and conservative treatments are not enough to treat damage to the ankle.
This is especially true when the ankle faces irreparable damage due to arthritis.
Arthritis causes extensive damage to the joints and results in severe pain.
Severe damage to the ankle requires surgery to fuse the bones or even a complete replacement.
The type of surgery you need depends on the extent of the damage, your age, and what you do.
The two most common types of ankle surgeries are ankle fusion and ankle replacement. Let’s look at both of these surgical procedures:
Ankle Fusion Surgery
Ankle fusion surgery is performed to treat ankle damage caused by arthritis, infection, and deformities.
The procedure involves roughening up the ends of damaged bones in the ankle and fastening them together with screws and metal plates.
The bones fuse during the healing process, forming one bone once more.
Ankle fusion surgery is especially helpful in reducing and removing pain caused by arthritis.
However, the procedure also decreases mobility in the ankle.
The body reacts to this by pushing away the joints next to the ankle, which increases the risk of arthritis in them.
However, while it does carry risks, ankle fusion is still recommended for young individuals who are highly active.
It is preferred to ankle replacement because it includes fewer restrictions on mobility during recovery. Along with that, ankle fusion is more durable than ankle replacement surgery.
Ankle replacement surgery includes removing the ends of the damaged bones and joining them with a plastic-and-metal artificial joint.
The artificial joint provides natural mobility when compared to ankle fusion, decreasing the risk of arthritis in the nearby joints.
However, the risk of the joint loosening over time is still there.
Because of this, ankle replacement surgery is usually recommended for people above the age of sixty with less active lifestyles.
Strenuous activity, such as running and jumping, adds pressure onto the joint and can damage it.
Ankle replacement might not be the right choice for:
People under the age of 50
Individuals participating in impact sports and leading active lives
People with weakened ankle ligaments
People who smoke heavily
People who are obese
People with extensive nerve damage due to the diabetes
