AAA Triple A® Ankle Arthroplasty

Treatment Options for Ankle Arthritis

What are the treatment options? You are the key factor in living successfully with OA. In addition to, and maybe more important than, medications you may take, making healthy lifestyle changes, managing stress and depression, avoiding joint damage, and balancing rest and activity will play a key role in battling the pain and limitations that can come with OA.
The goals of any treatment plan for OA include:
• Controlling pain and other symptoms
• Improving your ability to function in daily activities

Most treatment plans will include a combination of the following elements:
• Exercise
• Weight control
• Joint protection
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Medications

Medication

Medications to ease pain, relieve inflammation, slow bone loss, modify the course of an inflammatory disease or prevent joint damage are an important part of treatment for many ankle problems. The medications used to treat arthritis and other problems that affect the ankles will depend largely on the form of arthritis or related condition you have.
The types of medications commonly used in arthritis treatment can be found at the website of the arthritis foundation

Ankle Arthroscopy

Ankle arthroscopy can sometimes be used as an alternative to open ankle surgery, which is a surgical approach utilizing larger incisions to access the inside of the ankle.
It can be used to diagnose and treat different disorders of the ankle joint. The list of problems that this technology can be used for is constantly evolving, but includes:
1. Osteochondral defect of the talus
2. Anterior Ankle Impingement
3. Posterior Ankle Impingement
4. Synovitis
5. Loose Bodies
6. Arthrofibrosis
7. Tibiotalar Arthritis

Overview by the AAOFAS

http://www.aofas.org/education/OrthopaedicArticles/Total-ankle-replacement.pdf