ORTHOPAEDICS
Aching Ankles
Keeping You Down?
Treatment options to put that spring
back into your step.
RICHARD V. ABDO, MD
Ankle arthritis is wear and tear degeneration and thinning of
the joint cartilage which may result from osteoarthritis, past
trauma, instability, rheumatoid arthritis, and other conditions.
Ankle arthritis symptoms include:
• stiffness of the ankle
• swelling and/or pain around
the joint
• bone spurs causing a lumpy
appearing joint
• deformity of the joint
• instability, or a feeling the joint
may “give out”
The good news is, there are several
treatment options available for ankle
arthritis. Below are both non-surgical
and surgical approaches to getting
you back to most of your normal
activities.
Non-surgical treatment options for
ankle arthritis include:
• anti-inflammatory medication
• ice
• braces
• physical therapy
• cortisone injection
• platelet rich plasma injections
• stem cell therapy
Total ankle replacement (TAR) is considered
when non-surgical treatment
no longer helps relieve pain. TAR is
a surgical procedure to provide pain
relief for patients with arthritis of the
ankle joint.
TAR replaces the joint surfaces with
metal and plastic components similar
to total hip and knee replacements.
This provides pain relief and preserves
some motion. In preparation
16 COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE DIGEST • APR–JUN 2019 | WWW.CHDIGEST.COM
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