Posted on 11/15/2022 8:50:18 AM PST by ConservativeMind
Patients with advanced ankle osteoarthritis who undergo surgery see equally good outcomes from the two main surgical treatments for osteoarthritis, a new study has shown.
The TARVA randomized clinical trial compared total ankle joint replacement with ankle fusion (when the ankle joint is pinned to prevent movement).
The study analyzed the outcomes from half of whom had total ankle replacement and half had ankle fusion surgery. Both procedures are intended to relieve pain and restore movement that was lost due to advanced osteoarthritis.
The study found that both total ankle replacement and ankle fusion improved patients' quality of life considerably. But a fixed bearing joint replacement showed a significant improvement in clinical scores and quality of life over ankle fusion.
The study also found that total joint replacement saw better clinical outcomes than ankle fusion in patients with arthritis in surrounding joints. In ankle fusion, the shin bone is pinned to the talus, the uppermost bone in the foot. This prevents movement in the ankle joint, but movement is retained in the 30 other joints within the foot. All patients underwent an MRI scan before their operation, and 42% were found to have arthritis in surrounding joints, although many of them had no symptoms. Patients receiving joint replacement were found to have a better range of movement than those that underwent ankle fusion.
The research also highlighted some differences in complications following surgery between the two procedures. Patients undergoing total ankle replacement were more likely to see their wound take longer to heal than those having ankle fusion. Total ankle replacement was also more likely to result in some nerve damage than ankle fusion, leaving patients with numbness or tingling in the foot. Patients who underwent ankle fusion surgery were more likely to suffer blood clots in the legs.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
People benefit from the flexibility.
Artificial ankle replacement will not work for people who have flat feet because the foot is offset which will result in premature wearing out of the artificial ankle.
Thank God I don’t have arthritis in my ankles. I went through 2 botched foot surgeries in the last 10 years!
I broke my ankle in 1999 and it was fused in 2002. I don’t know if I am a good candidate, but I would LOVE it. I have to put shims in my shoe to get my foot into a position so I can have a semi normal stride. My Metatarsals are becoming calcified from the added stress of being the only bones that move from my leg to my toes.
What is the recovery time?
From break to walking, about 18 months. From walking to fusion was 3 years of pain. Then it was about 3 months until it was healed. It never felt better until I had them take the screws out.
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