Ankle arthritis is most often the result of gradual joint degeneration following trauma. The symptoms include pain and stiffness in the ankle joint, and in many cases, the way you walk (your gait) is negatively impacted. Non-operative treatment usually consists of rest, activity modification, NSAID’s, injection, and sometimes bracing.
Surgical treatments include joint preservation ankle distraction surgery, ankle fusion, and ankle replacement. While fusion and joint replacement can be effective treatments, both have limitations. Namely fusion leads to loss of ankle motion and puts excessive force on adjacent joints of the foot which can lead to premature arthritis and pain. While ankle replacement does preserve ankle motion, a lot of ankle bone must be removed to insert the implant and the longevity is not known.
Dr. S. Robert Rozbruch is an expert in joint preservation surgery with ankle distraction. This is a good conservative treatment that has been very effective in his hands and does not burn bridges for the future.
What is Ankle Distraction Arthroplasty?
Ankle distraction arthroplasty is an innovative procedure for treating ankle arthritis in select patients. Unlike ankle fusion and ankle replacement, distraction arthroplasty focuses on joint restoration. These other procedures, while appropriate in many cases, sacrifice the ankle joint in an effort to decrease pain from arthritis. Distraction arthroplasty uses mechanical unloading of the diseased joint to reverse the effects of arthritis and significantly lower pain without damaging the ankle joint. Additionally – and importantly – ankle motion is preserved.
This concept of joint restoration has been embraced by many foot and ankle specialists, including both orthopaedic surgeons and podiatrists. Although it is relatively new in the United States, it has been performed successfully in Europe for many years. This surgery is rapidly gaining popularity, but your local orthopedist may not be aware of its benefits or may not know which centers perform this procedure.
