When Is It Appropriate to Seek an Ankle Replacement?

Ankle replacement 一 also known as ankle arthroplasty 一 is a major surgery in which your damaged ankle joint is completely replaced. Choosing to replace a joint isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. Ankle replacements require downtime to recovery, physical therapy, and you may lose some flexibility in your ankle. However, when the pros outweigh the cons of surgery, ankle replacement can help you live a pain-free life once again. 

But when do you make that decision? Our physical therapy team here at Orthopedic Specialists of Oakland County can help you determine when conservative treatments are no longer working for you and when surgery might be your best path forward.

Below, we highlight three instances where you might consider ankle replacement.

1. You have severe osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (the wear-and-tear arthritis) happens when your cartilage starts to wear down. Without the cartilage to cushion your joint, your bones can rub against each other when you walk. This can cause inflammation, severe pain, and stiffness. Your ankle may even look swollen.

 As arthritis gets worse, you may find that walking grows steadily more painful, and as the condition progresses, you may not be able to walk much without an assistive device, such as a cane. 

Initially, you might treat this with rest, cold therapy, medication, and injections, but if your go-to treatments no longer provide relief, you might consider an ankle replacement.

2. You have rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis normally affects your smaller joints first, but as it progresses, it can move to bigger joints, including your ankle. Although ankle replacements are more often performed on people with osteoarthritis, they can also help you if you have severe rheumatoid arthritis in your ankle.

3. Your joint is damaged beyond repair

If your ankle is damaged, such as in a severe sports accident or a car collision, it may not be able to be repaired surgically. In severe cases, it may be better to replace your ankle. 

Expert care for ankle replacements

Your team here at Orthopedic Specialists of Oakland County approaches all surgeries with the utmost care and attention to detail. 

We perform all ankle replacement surgeries either under general anesthetic or with a nerve block on your lower limbs. The actual details of your surgery vary depending on what type of implant we use, but the general principles remain the same: we remove all damaged bones before we replace them with new components, which are a combination of metal and plastic.

After your surgery, you can expect to take several weeks to heal and recover. You may wear a cast or boot while your ankle implant heals, and you’ll also need to care for your incision site. However, all of the recovery and physical therapy is worth it when you can walk again on your ankle without pain.

To learn more about the possibility of an ankle replacement, call our Bloomfield Hills or Clarkston, Michigan office today. You can reach us at 248-335-2977 or through our online form.