Ankle replacements are a good alternative to surgical options for long standing ankle arthritis. You can see in the picture below how well this patient is mobilising after his ankle replacement.
Ankle replacements though still relatively new in their genesis have had 10 year survivability of 90%, with longer term studies needed for future. The alternative used to be an ankle fusion, therefore preservation of motion of the ankle is far more attractive.
Ankle replacements still require a specific category of patient – if you are elderly, healthy, have low to moderate levels of daily activities and have ankle arthritis with minimal deformity you are a good candidate to have a discussion about ankle replacements.
