Treatment methods

Ankle joint: Arthrosis treatment without surgery

If the rolling movement of your foot is taken care of by the sole of your shoe, this can significantly reduce your symptoms. Various manufacturers already offer shoes with rounded soles. Alternatively, an orthopaedic shoemaker can fit an orthopaedic sole onto your everyday shoes.
Shoes that stabilise the foot, hold the ankle joint and support it from outside can also provide assistance.

Ankle joint: Arthrosis treatment with surgery

Arthroscopy

If there are bone spurs on your X-rays, these can be removed using an endoscope (arthroscopy). During an arthroscopy, we insert a small camera into your joint via a small incision and the surgical instruments via a second incision. We are now able to remove even relatively large bone spurs in a tissue-conserving manner. Although it is not possible to completely correct your arthrosis in this way, we achieve a significant reduction in pain and greater freedom of movement.

Cartilage regeneration

For minor cartilage defects, thin membranes are used that are intended to encourage the growth of new cartilage cells.

Artificial ankle joint (prosthesis)

It is also possible to replace the upper ankle joint with an artificial one in surgery to thus achieve mobility in your ankle joint. Between 85 and 90% of inserted replacements are still intact even after ten years. If loosening should nevertheless occur, the artificial ankle joint can be replaced in many cases.

Artificial ankylosis of the ankle joint (arthrodesis)

If neither the stated surgical procedures nor an artificial joint are an option, we stiffen your ankle joint in an operation. This involves removing the destroyed cartilage from the joint and securely screwing your ankle bone onto the shin bone. Both bones will have merged together stably after six to twelve weeks, and you’ll be able to put weight on your foot again with almost no limitations. Artificial ankylosis is therefore only beneficial for younger, active patients. By limiting the reinforcement to the destroyed joint parts, in most cases, a large amount of mobility can be preserved in your hind foot. For a lot of patients, this procedure can be carried out through arthroscopy. And, today, artificial ankylosis is carried out in such a way that changing over to an artificial ankle joint would still be possible at some point in the future.