Ankle arthrosis
Ankle joint
arthrosis
Treatment specialists for osteoarthritis of the ankle
Osteoarthritis of the ankle significantly impairs the quality of life of affected patients. This usually manifests itself as pain with every step, which makes walking over longer distances impossible. Although the degenerative process in the ankle joint develops much less frequently than in the other large joints, the number of patients with this clinical picture is steadily increasing. The logical conclusion usually applies here: the higher the degree of osteoarthritis, the worse the symptoms.
During normal walking, the forces transmitted to the ankle joint are five times the body weight. The cartilage of the ankle joint has different mechanical properties and a different metabolism than the cartilage of the hip and knee joints. It is thinner and less flexible. In contrast to the hip, the strength of the ankle cartilage only gradually decreases with age.
Causes of ankle arthrosis
Causes of ankle arthrosis
The most common cause of ankle arthrosis is trauma (single or repeated injury). Unfortunately, osteoarthritis of the ankle often develops after an injury. This is because the joint cartilage is usually damaged in ankle fractures and almost half of the cartilage cells die within 2 days, which represents significant damage to the joint . The more complex the fracture and the less precise the repair, the greater the likelihood of subsequent joint wear and tear. The wear and tear of the joint begins relatively soon after injury (often after just two years).
However, fractures are not the only cause of osteoarthritis in the ankle joint. Repeated sprains can also lead to wear and tear of the ankle joint.
Other causes of ankle arthrosis include
- Inflammation (e.g. rheumatism, infection in the joint)
- Metabolic disorders (diabetes, gout)
- (Chronic) overloading of the ankle joint
- Lack of exercise
- Overweight
Symptoms of osteoarthritis in the ankle joint
Severe pain as a result of wear and tear of the joint cartilage
The pain considerably restricts patients with every step they take and thus significantly reduces their quality of life. It has been proven that the quality of life of patients with ankle arthrosis is significantly lower than the quality of life of patients after a heart attack or patients with kidney failure.
Symptoms of joint wear in the ankle joint summarized:
- Pain in the ankle joint
- Stiffness and limited mobility
- Swelling and pain after exercise
- Crunching or cracking noises in the joint
- Muscle weakness in the area of the ankle joint
- Reduced mobility and gait instability
- Formation of bone spurs (osteophytes) in the joint
- Deformity of the joint in an advanced stage
Put an end to your ankle pain! Contact me for an appointment in my office!
Behandlung bei Arthrose im Sprunggelenk
Conservative therapy
The options for conservative treatment of ankle arthrosis are limited. Conservative treatment is:
- non-pharmacological (restriction of activity, weight reduction, relief on crutches, orthoses),
- physical (heat, cryotherapy, electrotherapy, ultrasound, magnetic therapy, shock wave, LASER, etc.),
- locally pharmacologically (ointments, gels),
- generally pharmacological (anti-inflammatory drugs or so-called slow-acting drugs - collagen, hyaluronic acid, etc.) or
- intra-articular (injections, cortisone or so-called orthobiotics - stem cells, platelet-rich plasma and hyaluronic acid).
Ankle joint surgery
If conservative treatment options have been exhausted, surgical treatment remains the only option.
The minimally invasive method
The least invasive procedure is stretching the joint for several weeks on an external fixator. This relieves the joint cartilage and allows it to regenerate.
Restoration after cartilage wear
If the axis of the limb has changed due to an injury, it may be sufficient to restore it. The cartilage of the ankle joint has a unique regenerative capacity and a change in load after this operation enables it to regenerate.
Cartilage transplantation
If the articular cartilage is only missing in one part of the joint, this part can be replaced by a transplant, whereby the joint remains intact.
Artificial joint - total endoprosthesis
If the joint cartilage is only missing in a large part of the joint, a total endoprosthesis (“artificial joint”) can be implanted.
The four surgical treatment options mentioned above maintain movement in the ankle joint, but are relatively rarely performed as they are reserved for a highly experienced foot surgery specialist.
For this reason, the most frequently performed operation is “stiffening” of the ankle joint, which, however, results in the patient permanently losing mobility in the joint.
Thanks to my many years of expertise in the field of surgery, I am your contact for complex operations! Untreated ankle arthrosis can result in severe pain. If you suffer from osteoarthritis of the ankle, do not want to lose the mobility of your foot and want to enjoy your life again without pain, contact me!
