Ankle Replacement (NAPSA)—People who fear they haven’t a leg to stand on when it comes to easing ankle pain due to osteoarthritis may be interested in a few facts: In a healthy ankle, cartilage cushions the bones of the ankle joint. When arthritis or an injury interferes, the cartilage can be worn away. This causes bones to rub against each other, resulting in extreme pain and discomfort. At first, the ankle joint pain occurs only during activity. As the condition worsens, pain may be present even at rest. It may inter- fere with sleep. There may be swelling around the ankle joint and it mayfill with fluid and feel tight, especially following increased activity. There may even be a squeaking sound when the ankle joint moves. Eventually the ankle joint becomes stiff and loses the ability to move or hold your weight. This can leadto falls. A common treatment is ankle fusion surgery in which the bones of the impaired ankle are held together with metal screws. This mayalleviate the pain, but it limits motion and stresses other joints in the foot. This could lead to further pain and the need for other surgeries. Instead, many people can consider ankle replacement for greater mobility. In this procedure, the diseased or damaged parts of the ankle joint are removed and replaced with an implant. Unlike ankle fusion, joint replacement @ Whenit comesto handling arthritis pain, many Americans are seeing things from a whole new ankle. more closely matches the normal function of a healthy ankle. The Agility” Total Ankle System is from DePuy Orthopaedics, a Johnson & Johnson company—a leader in the development of ankle replacement technology. Not everyone is a candidate for ankle replacement surgery, and individual results may vary. As with any surgery, there are risks. Recovery takes time and hard work. Thelife of a new joint depends on weight, activity level, age and other factors. The most common complications after ankle arthroplasty include loosening of the components and infection. Your physician can tell you what treatmentis best for you. You can learn more and find a list of foot and ankle specialists that perform the procedure at www.agilityankle.com.
