Total Ankle Replacement Surgery

What You Need To Know

Understanding when an artificial joint may be the right option for you.

Restoring Mobility With Joint Replacement

Sometimes joints are injured or wear out to the point when an artificial joint is needed to restore mobility. For the ankle and big toe, that decision often comes after years of pain, stiffness, and reduced function that no longer respond to conservative care.

Ankles are a prime spot for arthritis. They are more likely to develop post-traumatic arthritis than osteoarthritis. For many Baby Boomers, the trauma was an ankle fracture or a bad sprain that may have happened in their teens or twenties. Decades later, that old injury can catch up with the joint and cause chronic pain and swelling.

Baby Boomers are most likely to develop osteoarthritis in their big toe joint. During walking, the big toe absorbs forces equal to nearly twice a person’s body weight. It plays an important role in stooping and standing. Some boomers start to develop big toe stiffness, a condition called hallux limitus, in their forties.

When arthritis pain begins to limit walking, standing, or the activities you enjoy, it is time to be evaluated. Our surgeons will review your history, examine the joint, and use imaging to determine how far the arthritis has progressed and whether joint replacement is the right path forward.

Surgical Options for Arthritic Joints

Better surgical procedures now offer improved pain relief and joint movement to patients with early stage arthritis at the big toe. Those with advanced and severe arthritis may need to have the joint fused or replaced. Stronger screws and hardware are helping fusions last longer while slashing recovery times, and a new generation of big toe joint replacements shows promise.

Ankle replacements, however, are not as durable as hip and knee replacements. The ankle is a more challenging joint to replace. It is smaller and moves in multiple directions. But better and promising ankle implants are hitting the market, giving surgeons more options for patients who want to preserve motion rather than fuse the joint.

For patients who are not yet candidates for joint replacement, innovative surgical techniques allow foot and ankle surgeons to transplant small plugs of cartilage from one part of the ankle to another. This can slow joint deterioration and delay or even avoid the need for a larger reconstructive procedure.

Every arthritic joint is different, and so is every patient. Our surgeons will walk you through the options that fit your stage of arthritis, activity goals, and overall health so you can make an informed choice about what comes next.