What is foot and ankle arthritis?

Arthritis is a common condition of the joint, which causes inflammation and pain. Over 100 types of arthritis comprise the leading cause of disability in the United States.

When you have arthritis in the foot or ankle, it alters the normal movement of the joint. This places exceptional stress and pressure on the ligaments, tendons, muscles, and soft tissue of the foot, causing damage and limiting mobility.

Symptoms or foot and ankle arthritis include:

• Pain when and when not walking
• Warmth in the joint
• Swelling
• Inflammation
• Redness
• Limited mobility

Over 50,000 new cases of ankle arthritis are reported every year. Treatment is important to avoid progressive loss of mobility.

What conditions cause ankle arthritis?

A number of conditions can contribute to the development of inflammation of the foot and ankle joints. These include:

• Foot, ankle, or leg trauma
• Sprains and fractures
• Torn or ruptured ligaments
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Gout
• Ankylosing spondylitis (a form of chronic spinal inflammation)

The medical team at Foot & Ankle Specialists of Ohio uses X-rays and laboratory tests to confirm the type and extent of your foot and ankle arthritis. If needed, other tests such as a bone scan, computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used as well.

What treatments are available for foot and ankle arthritis?

Your medical team evaluates your underlying condition and degree of damage, to help determine the best course of treatment for you. Initial treatment can include immobilization, oral medications, and orthotics.

Other treatment options can include minimally invasive methods such as:

• Arthroscopy: a procedure used to evaluate, diagnose, and treat a joint
• Platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) injections: direct injection of specially prepared blood plasma, made from your own blood, to stimulate healing of the site
• Stem-cell injections: direct injection of immature stem cells to promote new tissue growth and heal damaged tissues

Joint injections – for medication, stem cells, or PRP – are assisted by fluoroscopic guidance, giving increased accuracy and greater potential for effective treatment.

Surgical options include joint replacement, or joint fusion. If your arthritis is in the joint of your big toe (the metatarsophalangeal joint [MTPJ]), your doctor can discuss with you whether replacement or fusion is the best option for you.

For a consultation regarding your foot and ankle arthritis, call or book an appointment online today.