MADISONVILLE, KY — Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville is one of the first hospitals in western Kentucky to offer Stryker’s Total Ankle Replacement, an artificial implant that allows the ankle to move and bend without pain, for patients suffering from end-stage and debilitating ankle arthritis. 
 
Ankle arthritis occurs when the protective cartilage between bones gradually wears down, causing bones to rub together. This bone-on-bone contact causes pain and makes it more difficult to move. Unlike arthritis in hips and knees, over 80% of ankle arthritis is post traumatic or from previous injuries.¹ Traditionally, surgeons treating patients with severe ankle arthritis turned to ankle fusion, a procedure where the ankle bones are fused together to relieve pain. The cost of this procedure is lost motion at the ankle joint and the risk for adjacent joint arthritis. Compared to ankle fusion, Total Ankle Replacement can result in significantly shorter recovery times and may allow patients to bear weight on their ankle in as little as six weeks² and walk more normally after their surgery.  
 
“This technology has existed for a long time for hip and knee replacements,” said Dr. Walker Estes, podiatrist at Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville.  “Having this option for ankles may mitigate the trouble walking that patients have complained of after a traditional ankle fusion by allowing the joint to still move and presenting less stress on their surrounding joints.”
 
Total ankle replacement surgery has become a viable option for many patients and is ideal for those with severe ankle arthritis caused by gradual wear and tear, previous injury, osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis. Studies show benefits of total ankle replacement over ankle fusion, ^3-7 including lower rates of hospital readmission, wound infection, and re-operation^8-9, and higher patient satisfaction.¹⁰   
 
“Mobility can be severely limited after an ankle fusion – this can prohibit patients from participating in activities they used to enjoy. A total ankle replacement may allow patients to maintain motion in their ankle, like that of a healthy ankle,” added Dr. Estes.  “It is exciting for us to be able to provide this new treatment option for our patients right here in Madisonville.”
 
If you are interested in learning more about Total Ankle Replacement, schedule an appointment with Dr. Walker Estes by calling 270.825.7258. 
   
1.     Brown et al, JOT 2006. 3. CJRR 2006-7. 
2.     https://www.dukehealth.org/blog/ankle-fusion-or-ankle-replacement 
3.     Pedowitz DI, Kane JM, Smith GM, Saffel HL, Comer C, Raikin SM. Total ankle arthroplasty versus ankle arthrodesis: a comparative analysis of 
arc of movement and functional outcomes. Bone Joint J. May 2016;98-B(5):634-640. 
4.     Seo SG, Kim EJ, Lee DJ, Bae KJ, Lee KM, Lee DY. Comparison of Multisegmental Foot and Ankle Motion Between Total Ankle Replacement and 
Ankle Arthrodesis in Adults. Foot Ankle Int. Sep 2017;38(9):1035-1044. 
5.     Dekker TJ, Hamid KS, Federer AE, et al. The Value of Motion: Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Are Correlated With Range of Motion in 
Total Ankle Replacement. Foot Ankle Spec. Dec 1 2017:1938640017750258. 
6.     Odum SM, Van Doren BA, Anderson RB, Davis WH. In-Hospital Complications Following Ankle Arthrodesis Versus Ankle Arthroplasty: A 
Matched Cohort Study. J Bone Joint Surg Am. Sep 06 2017;99(17):1469-1475. 
7.     Younger AS, Wing KJ, Glazebrook M, et al. Patient expectation and satisfaction as measures of operative outcome in end-stage ankle arthritis:
a prospective cohort study of total ankle replacement versus ankle fusion. Foot Ankle Int. Feb 2015;36(2):123-134. 
8.     Stavrakis AI, SooHoo NF. Trends in complication rates following ankle arthrodesis and total ankle replacement. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 
2016;98(17):1453-1458. 
9.     SooHoo NF, Zingmond DS, Ko CY. Comparison of reoperation rates following ankle arthrodesis and total ankle arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg
Am. 2007;89(10):2143-2149.