Ankle Arthritis

Arthritis is inflammation of one or more of your joints that causes pain and stiffness. When that joint is in your ankle, it can be difficult to stand or walk. 

If you suffer from ankle arthritis, you are not alone. Each year, around 50,000 people have surgery revealing they have no cartilage left surrounding their ankle bone. Three major types of arthritis affect the foot and ankle—osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and posttraumatic arthritis.

Our team of Orthopaedic team offer nonsurgical and surgical treatment options to help reduce your ankle pain and improve your function and mobility.

Why ankle arthritis happens

There are three bones that make up the ankle joint—the tibia, the fibula and the talus. The talus is the main bone in the ankle that sits on top of the heel bone (calcaneus bone). In a healthy ankle, the ends of the bones are covered by articular cartilage—a slippery substance that helps the bones glide smoothly over each other during movement. Joints are surrounded by a thin lining called the synovium, which produces a fluid that lubricates the cartilage and reduces friction when you move. When the cartilage and lubricating fluid decreases, you experience inflammation, grinding of bone and pain.  

There is no cure for arthritis but there are a number of treatments that may help relieve the pain and disability it can cause.

Non-surgical treatment for ankle arthritis

Before considering surgery, your doctor may recommend lifestyle modifications and medical treatment for your arthritis pain, including: 

• Assistive devices, such as a cane for walking or custom-made brace to minimize ankle discomfort. 
• Medications to reduce swelling and decrease pain.
• Physical therapy to increase range of motion and flexibility in your ankle joint.
• Low impact activities (such as swimming) to replace high-impact activities (such as jogging or tennis).
• Weight loss to reduce stress on your ankle joints.

Surgical treatment of ankle arthritis

When non-surgical treatments do not relieve your ankle pain, or if your ankle arthritis makes it difficult or impossible for you to walk, your doctor may recommend one of two surgical options. 

Ankle Arthrodesis: Until recently, the main surgical treatment for ankle arthritis was ankle arthrodesis. During ankle arthrodesis, the bones within the ankle are fused so that the joint no longer moves. Although you will have less mobility in the ankle joint after the surgery, you will also have less pain.

Ankle Replacement: During ankle replacement surgery, the damaged bone and cartilage in the ankle joint are replaced with an artificial joint. More patients are choosing ankle replacement surgery because of the pain relief and mobility it offers. 

St. Elizabeth Healthcare offers ankle surgery for arthritis at the Total Joint Center, located on the seventh floor of our Edgewood campus. This dedicated orthopaedic unit features private patient suites, a spacious rehabilitation area and on-site classroom for seminars and other educational events.

Contact Us

If surgery is necessary, our physicians can provide a referral to one of our affiliated orthopaedic surgeons. For more information on surgical options, please contact us at askortho@stelizabeth.com.