Arthrodesis (Featured Image)

Arthrodesis: Joint Fusion to Relieve Arthritis pain

Anterior ankle fusion is an open surgical procedure that fuses or joins the ankle bones together.

The ankle is the joint that connects the leg in the foot, the ankle joint includes the two lower leg bones called the tibia and fibula. And the ankle bone is called the talus.

tibia and fibulaTalus (ankle)

Together the ends of the tibia and fibula create a mortise or slot for the talus which forms the bottom of the ankle joint. Tissues called ligaments and tendons support the ankle bones ligaments attach bone to bones and tendons attach muscles to bones.

The ankle joint allows the foot to move up and down.

Articular cartilage on the ends of bones is a smooth gliding covering that allows fluid joint movement.

What is Ankle Fusion?

Ankle fusion also known as arthrodesis is a surgical procedure that joins the ankle bones together, so they no longer move or rub against each other.

Doctors may recommend this procedure for conditions that lead to severe ankle joint damage and pain.

The most common condition is osteoarthritis also known as degenerative joint disease.

In the late stage of osteoarthritis, the cartilage covering the ends of the bones has worn away exposing bare bone.

This along with the growth of bony projections called bone spurs causes swelling pain and limited movement of the joints.

Another condition that may require ankle fusion is rheumatoid arthritis, where the patient’s own immune system attacks the joints.

Any condition that destroys the joint surface such as a severe bone infection or death of bone tissue called osteonecrosis. May also require fusion of the ankle joint.

 

For more information talk to a healthcare provider.

If you have any questions about Arthrodesis, please feel free and leave a comment.

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Causes of Ankle Fracture

The most common bone and joint injuries are ankle injuries. How you should be careful about your ankle injury is depending upon the degree of pain, inability to walk and if the bone is broken or not. Most of the time, the doctor also has the same concern, is there a broken bone? Because diagnosing sprain, dislocation or tendon injury is much easier than diagnosing a fracture.

Let’s see what the main causes of an ankle fracture are. But before that, we need to know the structure of the ankle joint. It is made up of 3 bones coming together.

The tibia- It is the main bone of the lower leg, makes up the inside of the ankle joint.

The fibula- It is a smaller bone that parallels the tibia in the lower leg. It makes up the outside of the ankle joint.

The talus- Both the tibia and fibula are known as the singular is malleolus. Together they form an arch that sits on top of the talus.

These 3 bones- the tibia, fibula, and talus make up the bony elements of the ankle joint. It is stabilized by several ligaments that hold these bones in place.

Ankle Fracture Causes

Stress is the most common cause of an ankle fracture. If you stress an ankle joint beyond strength, you injure the joint. If there is only wear and tear on the ligaments then you have sprained the ankle. In case of breaking bones, you have an ankle fracture. It can occur with simultaneous tears of the ligaments. These are the reasons for ankle fracture:

  • Twisting the ankle side to side
  • Rolling the ankle in or out
  • A strong force applied to the joint by coming straight down on it as in jumping from a high level
  • Flexing or extending the joint

This is the general information about the causes of Ankle Fracture. We recommend you to take your doctor’s advice for proper guidance. We hope this information adds value to your knowledge. Watch out this space for more such information. Greetings for SYS Medtech International PVT. LTD.

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