Is Ankle Replacement Surgery Right for You?
If you’ve got chronic pain in one or both ankles, there may be one of two things going on:
- An old injury coming back to haunt you
- Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common reason for chronic ankle pain. Indeed, that old injury may have come back to haunt you because the injury site has developed arthritis! Osteoarthritis occurs when bones are no longer cushioned with protective cartilage. Without a layer of cartilage to smooth out the motion of bones against bones, your ankle joints ache.
Several ways to treat ankle arthritis don’t involve surgery, including custom orthotics, pain medications, and physical therapy. However, sometimes, these conservative treatment methods aren’t enough to help, or they stop working after a time. If that sounds like you, it may be time to have a conversation with board-certified podiatric surgeon Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm about ankle replacement surgery.
What is ankle replacement?
Ankle replacement is a surgical procedure Dr. Wilhelm uses to expose the ankle joint, remove, or repair damaged bone and tissue, and insert synthetic material to replace worn-out or non-existent cartilage. The procedure restores the cushioning that allows bones to glide freely and smoothly. Our goal is twofold: to re-create the natural movement of your ankle as closely as possible and get you back to a pain-free life at home, work, and play.
Ankle replacement surgery is not for everyone. Dr. Wilhelm can help you decide if it’s time to take that step. He will spend quality time with you, explain the proposed procedure, and answer all your questions. When you’re comfortable with your decision to go ahead with ankle replacement surgery, our friendly staff will be happy to walk you through pre-and post-operative instructions and answer any remaining questions you may have. Call Clifton Foot & Ankle Center in Centreville (Fairfax County), Virginia at, (703) 996-3000, or contact us online.
