Arthritis of the ankle causes pain over the front of the ankle joint. This is worse when standing or walking. It may be associated with a loss of ‘up and down’ movement, swelling, catching and deformity.
Ankle arthritis may develop following previous injury, usually a fracture (post-traumatic arthritis). It may also be part of a generalised inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis. Occasionally ankle arthritis comes on without an obvious cause (primary osteoarthritis).
Ankle arthritis can usually be diagnosed on a plain xray. In some circumstances a CT or MRI scan may also be necessary.
The treatment of arthritis really depends on the level of symptoms.
If symptoms are mild then it may be possible to control symptoms with pain-killing medications, supports, and changes in lifestyle and activities.
Injections into the joint can give some relief though this may not be a long-term solution.
Occasionally a bone cut (osteotomy) may realign the ankle joint and alter the pressure distribution within the joint, aiding symptoms.
Surgery is an option for people with severe symptoms. Pain which causes a restriction in normal activities and is not helped by pain-killers or anti-inflammatories is an indication for potential surgery. Once arthritis is significant the two main options are ankle fusion (arthrodesis or stiffening) or ankle replacement (arthroplasty).