![]() With no shortage of vitality she would climb at her local indoor climbing gym, but her ankle pain made it impossible to ascend more than several feet. Despite a valiant effort by her orthopedic doctor, she went on to develop debilitating ankle arthritis.Īt 27 years old, she was unable to walk without taking frequent breaks. She underwent reconstructive surgery to fix the broken bones with a stainless-steel plate and screws. She fell from 30 feet and landed onto her right ankle, shattering the joint into many small pieces. After sustaining a severe ankle fracture from a fall while rock climbing, her first thought was that she might never climb again. Our climber is a vibrant and charismatic woman whose passions are rock climbing and the great outdoors. This surgery is rapidly gaining popularity, but your local orthopedist may not be aware of its benefits or may not know which centers perform this procedure. Although it is relatively new in the United States, it has been performed successfully in Europe for many years. This concept of joint restoration has been embraced by many foot and ankle specialists, including both orthopedic surgeons and podiatrists. Additionally – and importantly – ankle motion is preserved. Distraction arthroplasty uses mechanical unloading of the diseased joint to reverse the effects of arthritis and significantly lower pain without damaging the ankle joint. These other procedures, while appropriate in many cases, sacrifice the ankle joint in an effort to decrease pain from arthritis. Unlike ankle fusion and ankle replacement, distraction arthroplasty focuses on joint restoration. ![]() Am I a candidate for ankle distraction arthroplasty?Īnkle distraction arthroplasty is an innovative procedure for treating ankle arthritis in select patients.What are the risks of ankle distraction arthroplasty?.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |