A Total Ankle Replacement is a surgical procedure performed to relieve or reduce the symptoms of arthritis in the ankle joint, such as pain, swelling and reduced mobility.
Indications for surgery:
Chronic ankle pain causing reduced mobility. This is caused by:
- Osteoarthritis – wear & tear of the ankle joint
- Rheumatoid Arthritis – Autoimmune disease causing swelling & deformity of the joint
- Arthritis due to previous injury to the ankle joint
- Trauma to the ankle joint necessitating replacement of the joint.
- Chronic Ankle instability
Procedure:
Much like a hip, knee or shoulder replacement, an ankle replacement is a surgical procedure where the ends of the bones in the ankle are removed and replaced with artificial replacements.
After Your Surgery:
You will have dressings on your foot after the surgery and your consultant will normally leave these in situ until you are reviewed in clinic after you are discharged. Your consultant will explain this further either in clinic prior to, or on the ward after your surgery.
You will not be able to put weight on your foot for a few weeks after your surgery. You will be shown how to use a frame +/- crutches while in hospital after your surgery but it is recommended that you plan for not being as mobile as you were prior to the surgery for the first few weeks during your recovery.
This procedure doesn’t have the loss of range of motion that an ankle fusion has but patients are advised to avoid high impact activities such as running that may damage an artificial ankle joint.
Please speak to your consultant regarding any specific questions or queries you have about this surgery and the rehabilitation afterwards.
