As with other joint replacements, the most frequent source of ankle pain and joint destruction is arthritis -- osteoarthritls, traumatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Patients suffering from severe, incapacitating chronic ankle pain presently face limited options. For many, ankle fusion is the answer. Fusion alleviates pain, is durable, and remains the gold standard among orthopaedic surgeons. But fusion, which completely restricts ankle motion, can, over time, place stress on the knee and other foot joints.
More recently, researchers, clinicians and patients are discovering encouraging results from total ankle replacement.
"I was having severe problems with the loss of cartilage in both ankles," Carl Fuerst, 76, told the Saturday Evening Post. "The problem probably resulted from high-school and college sports. But as I grew older, I began to experience severe pain in both ankles."
Fuerst consulted with specialists, who suggested ankle fusion.
"I knew someone who had a fused ankle, but the thought of fusing both ankles didn't appeal to me at the time," says Fuerst, who continued to endure pain. During a business trip to South Dakota, Fuerst -- a water-park designer -- met with a doctor named Frank Alvine, M.D., who owned a water park with his family and who, ironically, also helped develop the ankle replacement joint currently in use.
After several consultations, Fuerst opted for replacement surgery, undergoing ankle replacement surgeries one year apart.
A specially designed prosthesis alleviates pain and restores mobility.
"Today, I can walk hours without pain," Fuerst reports after undergoing replacement surgery on both ankles. "I mow lawns, hike, walk on uneven surfaces, go to beaches, and walk on the sand. Before the surgery, not only was I getting to the point that I needed a wheelchair, [but] I was [also] experiencing tremendous pain in bed at night. The surgery changed my life. It has just been wonderful."
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The most frequent source of ankle pain is arthritis. And for some, ankle replacement has been a boon.