Total Ankle Replacement Surgery for Arthritis

Shruthi Godela*^*
*Correspondence: Shruthi Godela*, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jawaharlal Nehru university, India, Email:

Introduction

Total ankle replacement (also known as ankle arthroplasty) is a surgical procedure for patients suffering from ankle arthritis. This procedure can alleviate pain and retain mobility in an arthritic ankle joint, as opposed to arthrodesis (ankle fusion), which can relieve pain but reduces joint motion. While ankle replacement does not have the same long-term success as hip or knee replacement, shorter-term studies on the procedure appear to be very promising.

Characteristics of arthritis of the ankle: The ankle joint is made up of the lower leg's two bones and the talus, the first bone in the foot. It's also known as the tibiotalar joint.

Injury, infection, or wear and tear may cause this joint's cartilage to wear away. X-rays will reveal a narrowed joint, as well as other modifications that the doctor will assess.

Types of surgery recommended: Sometimes, all that is required to treat ankle arthritis is limiting the patient's behaviors to those that are not painful and ensuring that the shoe is comfortable. In general, a shoe with a cushioned heel that lace up above the ankle is more protective than other styles of shoes.

Bracing of the ankle is another option. An ankle lacer is a product that can do this. It slips into the shoe and fastens like a traditional boot. An AFO, which stands for Ankle Foot Orthosis, is a third alternative for more severe pain. This is a plastic brace that goes along the back of the leg and the underside of the foot and also fits inside the shoe. This requires a slightly larger than normal this is a plastic brace that fits inside the shoe and runs along the back of the leg and underside of the foot. This requires a slightly larger shoe size than usual.

Who should consider total ankle / ankle replacement surgery?: The decision to have surgery is largely focused on discomfort that interferes with day-today activities. When bracing or over-the-counter medications fail to relieve the discomfort, surgery should be considered..

Surgical options: Surgical options include arthrodesis and ankle replacement. Arthrodesis is the connection between the tibia fibula and talus. This operation is excellent for pain relief but sacrifices the up-and-down motion of the foot that normally occurs through the ankle. The talus is permanently fixed to the end of the leg bone.

By modulating muscle tone, providing adequate sensory input, increasing spatial awareness, improving capacity to communicate with the environment, and preventing complications such as pressure sores and contracture, the aim of positioning the patient is and try to facilitate optimum recovery and comfort Ankle replacement is a procedure that has been available for approximately 25 years. However, it has not been as successful as hip and knee replacement surgery. Because the ankle is not as often involved in arthritis there has been less study devoted to this area. Over the last 10 years, ankle arthroplasty has been growing in popularity as the implants available for replacement have improved. Since the ankle isn't as often involved in arthritis, there hasn't been as much research done on it. Ankle arthroplasty has grown in popularity over the last ten years as the implants available for replacement have improved.

Risks: The vast majority of these surgical operations proceed without complications. However, there are risks such as cancer, nerve or blood vessel damage, bone fracture, failure of the bone to heal to the ankle replacement, failure of the bones to heal together, wound complications, and blood clots. Rare cases of pain syndromes have been identified after any foot, ankle, hand, or arm operation. Anesthesia carries dangers, which you can explore with the anesthesia team.

Pain Management: To control postoperative pain, patients are given a mixture of intravenous and oral medications. If the surgery is done under anesthesia, the leg can be numb for six to eight hours afterward.