An ankle fusion is a surgical procedure that is usually done when an ankle joint becomes worn out and painful, a condition called degenerative arthritis. Ankle fusion is sometimes called ankle arthrodesis.
Probably the most common cause of degenerative arthritis of the ankle is an ankle fracture. Many years after a serious fracture, the joint may wear out and become painful. Just as an out-of-balance piece of machinery wears out faster, a joint that is out of balance after it heals from a fracture can wear out faster than normal.
Ankle fusion specialists actually removes the surfaces of the ankle joint and allows the tibia to grow together, or fuse, with the talus. There are operations for many joints in the body that surgically fuse the joint to control pain. Before the development of artificial joints this was the primary operation available to treat an extremely painful joint. In some cases, fusion is still the best choice.
For the ankle, a fusion is a very good operation for treating a worn-out joint. This is especially true if the patient is young and very active. An ankle fusion, if successful, is not in danger of wearing out like an artificial ankle. An ankle fusion should last the patient a lifetime. But it is also important that the other foot joints are normal. A fusion keeps the ankle joint from moving during walking and other activities, so the other foot joints will need good mobility.
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