ankle fusion

[tess1965]

I am a 43 year old female and have post traumatic osteoarthritis in my left ankle due to a bad injury many years ago  and following an arthoscopy I have been recommended to have ankle fusion.  Is there anyone out there who can give me any information about ankle fusion?  It sounds a bit drastic but on the other hand the pain is getting worse and it seems to be having a knock on effect on my knees now. I have twin toddlers so the idea of the operation/recovery seems very daunting.  Incidentally the pain has got worse since the arthroscopy /removal of a large osteophyte. Is that normal? Many thanks
Tessa.

[richardm]

Hi Tessa,
I had a motorcycle accident over 30 years ago and the bones were not set correctly. This has caused the cartilage to wear out.
The option I am trying are
cortisone injection
SynVisc (hylaron).
Stem Cell Therapy

Keep looking around - new options are appearing every day.
Fusion looks like THE last resort.
Cheers
Richard

[Dr_Veena]

Hi,
     Thanks for writing in. Ankle fusion surgery is a procedure performed for the treatment of ankle arthritis. Here, worn out joint surfaces surgically removed. The ankle bones are then held together with metal implants, and the bone surfaces heal in this position. The joint is then permanently stiff after ankle fusion, but the result is usually a pain-free joint.

Patient’s who are not been treated successfully with conservative measures are ideal candidates for ankle fusion. Problems associated with ankle fusion surgery include non union, infection, wound healing problems, and arthritic changes in the foot joints, which can be prevented with proper care.

Furthermore, patients who undergo ankle fusion surgery, may need to get their shoes modified for the rest of their life. Please check the following link for further information on ankle fusion surgery.
http://orthopedics.about.com/od/footanklearthritis/a/arthritis_2.htm