What is ankle osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis of the ankle is a degenerative joint disease in which the cartilage covering the bone wears away. If the tissues disappear, the bone cannot cushion the loads supported by the ankle.
Prognosis of the disease
Osteoarthritis of the ankle is not a very common disease, it could be said that it is exceptional and almost always appears after a fracture of the leg or foot. This is not the case with hip or knee osteoarthritis, which are more common.
Similarly, the person suffering from osteoarthritis of the ankle will have a very limited capacity for movement.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis of the ankle
The patient with osteoarthritis of the ankle notices:
- Pain in the foot
- Feeling of pressure that makes you get tired and walk with difficulty.
In addition, the walking time decreases and the person ends up not being able to walk even a few meters in a row and, in more severe cases, causes the total impossibility of walking.
The main cause of ankle osteoarthritis is post-traumatic osteoarthritis, i.e. after a fracture or trauma to the ankle.
Medical tests for osteoarthritis of the ankle
In order to make a good diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the ankle is important medical history, taking into account the traumatic history to which the ankle has been subjected.
Once the clinical history is reviewed, an exploration of:
- Painful points
- External aspect of the joint with its possible deformities.
- Joint mobility
- Gait pattern
X-rays are also usually performed, as they allow the diagnosis of osteoarthritis and its evolutionary state, assessing osteocartilaginous lesions and specifying the position of osteophytes and foreign bodies.
Sometimes it is useful to complete the imaging study with tests such as MRI or CT. With them it is possible to better evaluate the characteristics of the osteoarthritis and the affectation of other neighboring joints.
What are the causes of ankle osteoarthritis?
The main causes of this chronic pathology are:
- Post-traumatic osteoarthritis: it occurs after a fracture or trauma to the ankle. It is the main cause of ankle osteoarthritis.
- Metabolic or rheumatological disorders: Patients suffering from hyperuricemia or gout can cause ankle osteoarthritis due to the accumulation of microcrystals in the joint. In addition, rheumatologic disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis can alter the ankle joint to the point of ankle osteoarthritis.
- Alterations of the foot: Patients with flat feet or severe pes cavus can suffer from ankle osteoarthritis, due to the alteration in the movement of the joint.
Can it be prevented?
Some tips for the prevention of ankle osteoarthritis are:
- Modify the activity: contact sports, running, jumping and turning are not recommended. On the other hand, weight training, exercise in the swimming pool and cycling are highly recommended to maintain mobility and strength.
- Avoid being overweight.
- Wearing good footwear is important for joint and foot health.
Treatments for osteoarthritis of the ankle
The initial treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle consists of the use of insoles to better accommodate the foot and reduce the impact force of walking on the ankle.
A newer treatment is the infiltration of Plasma Rich in Growth Factors, which regenerates damaged tissues and can “slow down” joint wear and tear.
In more advanced cases, surgery is recommended, such as minimal incision surgery of the foot; and in others it is possible to choose to implant an ankle prosthesis, that is to say, to perform a Total Ankle Arthroplasty (ATT).
Which specialist treats it?
Traumatology specialists treat osteoarthritis of the ankle.