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Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA), also called total ankle replacement, is a surgical procedure that helps to relieve pain and maintain motion in an arthritic or injured joint. The fibula, tibia, and talus bones make up the tibiotalar (ankle) joint. The talus, which is between the leg and foot bones, articulates with the fibula (smaller bone of the lower leg) and tibia (shinbone). TAA is an alternative treatment to ankle fusion, which can relieve pain, but often limits motion of the joint since the procedure permanently fuses the bones together. Depending on your condition, age, weight, and activity level, your Hughston physician may recommend TAA rather than ankle fusion.
Why does my ankle hurt?
Ankle arthritis caused by degeneration of the cartilage, produces a painful, stiff joint that can affect your quality of life. Whereas arthritis in the knee and hip often results from normal wear and tear of the joint due to aging, ankle arthritis most commonly occurs after trauma to the ankle, whether this is from an ankle fracture, chronic ankle instability, or malalignment of the leg. Only a small percentage of ankle arthritis arises from just wear and tear of the joint alone.
What is the treatment for ankle arthritis?
Initially, physicians treat ankle arthritis nonsurgically with anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, bracing, and steroid injections. If these conservative measures fail to provide pain relief and the arthritis continues to affect your ability to do everyday activities, surgical options such as an ankle fusion or TAA can help relieve your pain.
Ankle fusion surgery consists of fusing together the bones of the ankle joint. Fusion eliminates motion at the joint and provides pain relief. On the other hand, an ankle fusion can lead to increased stress and wear on the surrounding joints, which can lead to arthritis. This procedure is the gold-standard surgical treatment for ankle arthritis; however, you now have TAA as another option.
What is total ankle arthroplasty (TAA)?
Surgeons perform TAA by removing the arthritic cartilage and part of the bone from the ankle joint and replacing it with metal and plastic components. The goals of TAA are to alleviate pain and regain the range of motion, which will ultimately improve your quality of life. Another benefit of maintaining ankle range of motion is that the surrounding joints in the foot do not take on any additional stress.
Am I a candidate for TAA?
If you have painful arthritis and nonsurgical treatment has failed, you may want to talk to a Hughston foot and ankle specialist about TAA. You are a good candidate for ankle replacement if you have maintained ankle range of motion and have minimal to no ankle deformity. Typically, older patients who place less demand and impact on the ankle joint are great candidates; however, younger patients, in their 50s are beginning to have replacements as well.
What are the typical outcomes of TAA?
Patients typically return to their regular activities after TAA. Surgeons generally recommend low impact activities after ankle replacement to prolong the life of the implant. Generally, the TAA device will last 10 years or more. Overall, ankle replacement surgery has come a long way over the past 30 years, and the implants are continuing to be improved.
Our foot and ankle specialists are seeing new patients at Hughston Clinic Orthopaedics Montgomery-Lomac campus. View our foot and ankle specialists online at Hughston Clinic Foot & Ankle or call us at (334) 274-9000 to schedule an appointment.