Ankle Treatments

Your ankles provide support for you every single time you stand, as well as the flexibility to move when you walk. When you have an ankle injury or disease, it can be difficult and painful.

Common ankle problems include arthritis, fractures and sprains. Our Orthopaedic team offer a wide variety of options to treat your ankle injury or condition and get you back to pain-free ankle movement.

Non-surgical treatment

Your doctor may recommend lifestyle modifications and medical treatment options before considering surgery for your ankle problem. These may include:

  • 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.

Senior woman sitting on sofa holds her ankle injury, feeling pain.

Learn More

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

Surgical treatment

If you have a traumatic ankle injury, such as a fracture, or if non-surgical treatments are not relieving your ankle pain, your doctor may recommend surgery.

St. Elizabeth Healthcare offers all types of ankle surgery procedures, including but not limited to:

  • Ankle Arthrodesis (Fusion): 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.
  • Fractured Ankle happens when one or more of the bones that make up your ankle is broken. If your ankle looks deformed or crooked, feels numb, or if you have extreme pain and cannot put any weight on it, then it may possibly be fractured. A doctor can confirm that your ankle is fractured using an X-ray. You will need to wear a cast to completely stabilize the bone until it is healed. It is recommended that you see an orthopaedic surgeon for any ankle fracture. In serious cases, surgery may be needed.
  • 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.

The Total Joint Center is our dedicated orthopaedic unit features private patient suites, a spacious rehabilitation area and on-site classroom for seminars and other educational events.

Meet Your Foot & Ankle Surgeons

Ryan Finnan, MD

Ryan Finnan, MD

Nicholas Gates, MD

Meet Your Non-Surgical Orthopaedic Doctors

Kevin Bonfield, MD

Kevin Bonfield, MD

Tyler Browning, MD

Tyler Browning, MD

Aloiya Kremer, MD

Aloiya Kremer, MD

Contact Us

Is your ankle pain bothering you?

Schedule an appointment with our Sports Medicine physicians for a treatment plan tailored to you. Call (859) 212-5600 to make an appointment.

Surgical Options

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.