Ankle Surgery - Know More About It!

Surgery is the last option when all other treatments do not provide relief from ankle pain caused by severe arthritis. When the joints get severely damaged, the patient might either need to replace the bones with an artificial joint or bones that are fused together. If a person injured his/her ankle, there will be swelling and unbearable pain. The ankle bone will be noticeably deformed which can cause problems while moving the ankle. The person won’t be able to walk properly. Moreover, the person will not be able to put any weight on the foot without feeling extreme pain. 

If the ankle is unbalanced or the bones are not positioned correctly, it requires to be repaired surgically. The kinds of surgical methods used depend upon factors such as age, overall health, severity, and probable risk to fix the ankle problem. Some surgical methods used to fix this problem include ankle replacement and ankle fusion. 

Ankle Replacement

In the ankle replacement, the ends of the injured or damaged bones are removed and surgeons implant a metal and plastic replacement joint onto them. The natural movement of the ankle can be maintained through the artificial joint so that there is a minimum risk of developing arthritis in nearby joints. People who don’t have an active lifestyle (people above 60) are normally recommended the artificial ankle joints as it is not durable enough and can be destroyed due to high-impact physical activities. An artificial ankle joint may not be recommended if a person:

• is younger than 50;

• have misaligned ankle bones;

• have weakened ankle ligaments;

• have nerve damage from diabetes;

• takes part in high-impact work or sports;

• is a heavy smoker; 

• is overweight. 

Ankle Fusion

In ankle fusion, the surgeon requires to roughen the ends of the bones that are damaged and then secures them together with screws and metal plates. During the process of healing, the damaged bones are put together into one combined bone. The fusion of ankle is generally very effective in relieving from the pain of arthritis, but it also reduces the motion of the ankle. To frame this, nearby joints may move further which increases the possibility of developing pain in nearby joints. Ankle fusion is recommended to younger people as it can support the active lifestyle of younger people. As compared to the replacement of ankle, ankle fusion is usually more durable and needs fewer restrictions during the recovery process.

Takeaway

The fracture of an ankle is one of the common injuries. There will be a few signs if the ankle bone is fractured. First, there will be pain and swelling and difficulty in walking or moving the ankle properly. In this case, the ankle surgery can fix it. Ankle replacement and ankle fusion surgery are recommended depending upon individuals' needs and severity of the problem.