Ankle Arthritis

What is Ankle Arthritis?

Ankle arthritis is a condition that causes pain, swelling, deformity, and instability in the ankle joint. It affects the tibiotalar joint, which is formed by the shin bone (tibia) and the ankle bone.

Causes of Ankle Arthritis

1. Injury-induced ankle arthritis

A damaged joint is seven times more likely to develop arthritis than a healthy one. Particularly susceptible to sprains, fractures, and other ailments is the ankle. In fact, between 70 and 80 percent of ankle arthritis cases are the result of an earlier injury.

Post-traumatic arthritis refers to arthritis that develops following an injury. Even if the ankle’s primary injuries heal and function returns, the trauma may have induced joint abnormalities that result in osteoarthritis symptoms in the ankle.

2. Underlying Health Conditions

Only 12% of all occurrences of ankle arthritis are caused by another health condition. The occurrence of ankle osteoarthritis is increased if any of the following occur:

• Rheumatoid arthritis and other reactive arthritis types.
• Some congenital disorders, such as hemophilia, which makes it difficult for the blood to clot, and hemochromatosis, which causes the body to absorb an excessive amount of iron, can lead to clubfoot and improper alignment of the ankle joints.

When there is insufficient blood flow to the ankle joint, osteochondrosis dissecans (a joint condition in which bone underneath the cartilage of a joint dies due to lack of blood flow ), and avascular talus necrosis ( refers to a cut-off of the blood supply to the talus, which is a bone of the ankle) can harm the bones and cartilage in that region.

Types of Arthritis that Affect the Ankle

It is important to identify the type of arthritis that’s causing pain in the ankle because some types of arthritis require very specific medications and treatments. The following are some of the common types of ankle arthritis.

• Osteoarthritis
• Post-traumatic arthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Gout
• Reactive arthritis

Symptoms

The symptoms of arthritis can vary from one patient to the other as per the joints affected by this ailment. In several cases, these are inflamed and painful. Some of the common symptoms are under:

• a significant amount of pain or sensitivity
• decreased mobility or walking abilities
• Stiffness
• Joints with pain and inflammation
• Pain getting flared up with extreme activities
• Tenderness with applied pressure over the joint
• Joint swelling, redness, and warmth
• Increased amount of pain swelling during the morning time after resting or sitting
• Difficult while walking and getting any of the above discussed symptoms

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of ankle arthritis can be carried out with a combination of physical examination X-rays or several other imaging tests. The diagnostic tests can include X-rays, and MRI/CT scans for any unusual condition. On having ankle arthritis systemic condition, blood tests can be used for the diagnosis. At times, a bone scan is also carried out, while the other tests include injection over the joints.

Treatments

The treatment plan is based on previous treatments, type of arthritis, pain, other medical conditions, health history, exam, and X-rays.

Medications

Some medications are prescribed for treating it like acetaminophen. Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as naproxen and ibuprofen may also be prescribed by a doctor. Other medications may be used to treat more severe types of arthritis.

Non-Surgical Procedures

Most of the time ankle arthritis can be treated with non-surgical ways such as –

• Ankle bracing
• Cortisone injections
• Changes in lifestyle activity
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Hot compression and cold compression with ice

Surgery

Surgery is done when all other non-surgical options do not work, following are the surgeries:

• Ankle fusion (arthrodesis)
• Total ankle joint replacement (arthroplasty)
• Bone spur removal (debridement)