Risks And Benefits of Fusion Surgery For Treating Ankle Arthritis

Arthritis is an exceptionally painful condition which can have a profoundly negative and adverse impact on the quality of life of the victim, as they struggle to perform even the most basic of tasks without a significant amount of pain, stiffness and discomfort.  In particular,  arthritis of the ankle has proven itself to be an especially tricky and troublesome issue, primarily due to the complex anatomical design of the ankle joint as a whole which makes it far more difficult to actually intervene effectively.

Ankle joint replacement is not a new concept or technology, and indeed, it was initially introduced sometime in the 70’s. The first generation joint replacements were an unmitigated disaster, and so the medical profession simply relied upon ankle fusion once again. However, there has been a great deal of research conducted into the world of ankle replacement as a viable solution to the treatment of ankle arthritis and so a comparison between these two methods is considered as follows.

Ankle fusion Benefits

• The ankle fusion surgery has a significant amount of clinical data associated with it, which in turn, means that surgeons are much more confident and proficient with it.
• Any patient who exhibits arthritis of the ankle will be able to make use of this surgery.
• Extremely durable, there is no risk or danger of the ankle fusion “wearing out” with the passage of time.
• When performed correctly, it provides the patient with a very stable and durable platform upon which they can bear weight through.
• Allows for pain free movement for the patient.
• Can be used to directly remedy and treat patients who suffer from extensive and widespread deformity of the ankle joint, which is tragically, an all too common side effect of the disease.

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Risks of ankle fusion

• Even with a properly performed ankle fusion, there is the risk of additional arthritis occurring in the adjacent joints of the foot.
• Extremely long recovery period involved, the patient will be required to refrain from walking at all for a minimum of three months.
• The foot will lose all flexibility and motion, thereby impeding a natural gait.