Hello & trying to work out whether an ankle replacement is for me

Pedallin36
Pedallin36 Member Posts: 1
in Chat to our Helpline Team

Hello, I've just joined the forum. I broke my ankle 5 years ago and now have arthritis in the joint & very little cartilage left. I struggle to walk for than 3 miles & find cycling is the better option, as I want to keep as fit as possible. I usually take paracetemol before doing any exercise.. I'm in my early 70s and my consultant has told me I'd be suitable for either an ankle fusion or replacement. I'm sort of leaning towards a replacement, as I don't really want screws in my joint, as I had to have all the previous metalwork taken out, because it was so painful. However, I'm worried that an ankle replacement will wear out and can't find out a great deal of information. I believe the new generation of replacements are much better than previous versions.. I'd like to be able to continue cycling on a regular basis (I'm considering an ebiking holiday.. would really love to do Lands End to John OGroats, if possible) and be able to walk 5 or 6 miles, before I get too old! Any advice, please?

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  • helpline_team
    helpline_team Posts: 3,930

    Hi @Pedallin36,

    Thank you for posting in the Helpline Online community.

    Sorry to hear about your ankle injury and arthritis. You ask about surgery options, either ankle fusion or ankle joint replacement. Whilst we can't offer an opinion, I'm sharing some information within the link below about these surgeries. Concern about the longevity of ankle joint replacements are a consideration when weighing up the pros and cons of surgery which you should discuss with your orthopaedic surgeon. Replacement ankle joints haven’t been used for as long as replacement hips and knees, and they don’t last as long, but they can last for about 10–15 years. An occupational therapist or physiotherapist will advise you on how to take care of the new joint.

    Cycling is a good form of exercise as long as your doctor is happy for you to continue, and the cycling holiday certainly sounds like a challenge! An e-bike may be an idea to give you options on your holiday so pedalling isn't constant. Perhaps you could ask your doctor about physiotherapy in the meantime if you haven't already explored this option.

    You are welcome to post on our Living with arthritis - Versus Arthritis forum if you haven't done so already if you are wanting to reach out to others that may have had ankle fusion or ankle replacement surgery. This is a supportive space where you may receive more responses to your post.

    I hope this helps.

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/surgery/foot-and-ankle-surgery/

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2021/april/cycling-top-tips-for-getting-into-gear/

    Best wishes,

    Helen, Helpline Advisor

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