The Range of Treatment Options for Ankle Injuries
Unsurprisingly the ankle is the most commonly injured joint in the body and most people, sporting or not end up in A&E at some point with either a badly strained ankle or an actual fracture. The trouble is that although most ankle injuries will heal perfectly normally, that there is an increasing trend for ankle arthritis to develop in later years. It is a common 'Old War' injury.
So what are the treatment options for ankle arthritis? In his authoritative article, St George's Hospital Foot and Ankle Consultant, Mr Amit Amin looks at the different types of patients and presents a thorough overview of the different treatments available for treating a condition that can have a major impact on the quality of life.
Mr Amin says, "Only a minority of people who sustain an ankle injury go on to develop ankle arthritis. Whilst it does depend on the nature of the injury and how it is treated, ankle arthritis tends to develop many years later. More common reasons for on-going pain soon after an ankle injury include overgrowth of the capsule of the joint (synovitis) which can impinge, isolated damage to the joint surface such as an osteochondral defect (hole in the joint lining), or damage to the many tendons that cross the ankle joint.".
Mr Amin explains the causes of ankle arthritis including:
- Ankle fractures and trauma
- Abnormal joint loading
- Ankle infections
- Inflammatory conditions
- Primary arthritis
- and 'other' causes
He goes on to answer the following questions:
- What are the typical symptoms?
- I don’t want surgery – what are my options?
- Are there any injections that can relieve the pain?
- What are the surgical options?
- How do I decide what’s the best option for me?
The good news is that there are many solutions for treating a painful ankle. Patients are advised to seek the help of a Consultant Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeon, who will be able to discuss all appropriate options.
