What is Ankle Fusion?
Ankle fusion surgery involves eliminating the arthritis by eliminating the ankle joint. This cures the patient of their arthritis pain. It is a very successful surgery with a long standing track record. It is done by eliminating all the remaining cartilage down to bleeding bone and securing the tibia (shin bone) to the talus (ankle bone) with stainless steel screws. The bone then heals together bridging the joint together. Unfortunately, this operation eliminates the joint motion. Limited joint motion alters the biomechanics of the lower extremity. Because of the limited motion of the ankle joint after fusion, more motion and stress is put on the surrounding joints which can cause them to degenerate faster than normal.