Treatment of Ankle Osteoarthritis

Specialists in ankle osteoarthritis treatments in Valencia, Spain.

I am Miguel Alfonso Porcar, orthopedic surgeon and traumatologist of recognized prestige.

In the clinic of traumatology Regenerat we are specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of subtalar osteoarthritis or ankle osteoarthritis.

Our objective is to:

• Determine the cause of your ankle osteoarthritis.
• Perform appropriate diagnostic tests to determine the extent of your condition,
• and apply the treatment of regenerative traumatology or orthopedic surgery to relieve your pain so that you can recover your wellbeing as soon as possible.

We aim to help our patients by using the safest, most successful, and least invasive treatments possible!

What is ankle osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis of the ankle is an inflammation resulting from degeneration of the joint cartilage that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints, resulting in limited movement.

It may occur due to fracture, dislocation, inflammatory disease or congenital deformity.

The joints of the foot most commonly affected by osteoarthritis are:

• The joint between the shin bone (tibia) and the ankle bone (talus).
• The three joints of the foot that include the heel bone, the inner medial foot bone and the outer medial foot bone.
• The big toe joint and the bone of the foot

Causes of ankle osteoarthritis

There are three types of arthritis that affect the foot and ankle and they can be:

• Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that occurs more frequently in older people. This disease affects the cartilage, the tissue that cushions and protects the ends of the bones in a joint.

The cartilage begins to wear away and in extreme cases can wear away completely, leaving nothing to protect the bones of a joint, causing bone-on-bone contact.

Bones may also bulge or protrude at the end of a joint, which is called a bone spur.

• Post-traumatic ankle osteoarthritis: Ankle osteoarthritis most often occurs after a major traumatic injury to the ankle.

A pylon fracture can cause osteoarthritis of the tibiotalar (ankle) joint; a displaced fracture of the calcaneus can cause subtalar osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is also seen after less severe injuries, especially if those injuries cause malalignment.

This condition can develop years after the trauma, such as a fracture, severe sprain or torn ligament.

• Rheumatoid arthritis: an autoimmune disease in which the body’ s immune system (the body’s way of fighting infection) attacks healthy joints, tissues and organs. It can cause pain, stiffness, swelling and loss of function in the joints.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis of ankle

Symptoms of arthrosis of the foot and ankle include pain or tenderness, swelling and stiffness in the joint, and limited range of motion.

It is important to determine the exact nature, location, duration and progression of symptoms in order to narrow down the type of osteoarthritis and the structures affected.

The presentation in patients varies according to the type and location of osteoarthritis.

• Patients with hindfoot osteoarthritis present with pain, stiffness and swelling. Symptoms are usually aggravated by activity and relieved by rest.
• In the case of ankle osteoarthritis, the pain usually appears on the anterior aspect of the ankle joint, in the form of a band along the tibiotalar joint.
• In subtalar osteoarthritis, the pain is usually localized to the lateral aspect of the hindfoot, often below the fibula in the tarsal sinus, although sometimes the pain also radiates medially.

Identification of aggravating and mitigating factors can also help identify the location of osteoarthritis.

Causes of  foot & ankle pain

Anyone can be at risk for foot or ankle pain, as it can result from injury or everyday wear and tear.

Some factors can increase the likelihood of a person suffering from foot and ankle pain include the following: 

• Ankle osteoarthritis: Occurs when the surface of the cartilage of the ankle begins to wear away. This causes inflammation, stiffness and pain in the joint.
• Achilles tendonitis treatment: For the inflammation of the Achilles tendon, which can be very painful. In the absence of treatment, it becomes a long-term chronic problem that makes walking difficult.
• Peroneal tendonitis – tendinopathy:Peroneal tendonitis causes pain on the outside of the foot and leg when walking or running. Peroneal tendonitis is rare and is caused by overuse that affects athletes, such as runners and long distance runners.
• Plantar fasciitis treatment: Plantar fasciitis is a degenerative disease of the thick band of tissue (fascia) on the bottom of the foot, which runs from the heel to the toes.
• Bunions: mainly affect women due to the use of narrow shoes or heels. They manifest as painful bumps on the big toe. When the pain is persistent or the deformity is severe, the percutaneous bunion operation percutaneous bunion operation is the best solution.
• Other foot and ankle conditions: calcaneal spur…