2008 End Stage Ankle Arthritis and Total Ankle Replacement

Description: An interview with Jonathan T. Deland, MD
This “end stage� arthritis results in pain, combined with loss of function and mobility - severely limiting normal activity. When this end stage is reached and non-operative options (such as medication, injections, and bracing) have been exhausted, patients are presented with three methods of surgical treatment: ankle fusion (also known as arthrodesis), total ankle replacement (TAR) and, in some cases, distraction arthroplasty.
In our interview with Dr. Deland, we primarily focused on one option in particular – total ankle replacement – and its evolution to an operative procedure that holds much promise today as a valid alternative to ankle fusion for certain patients.