Ankle Surgery

Ankle surgery may be required to correct a serious deformity of the ankle caused by an injury (such as a fracture), birth defect, or developmental abnormalities that arise as children age. Later in life, diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and neuromuscular conditions can also cause severe foot and ankle deformities that may need to be addressed via surgery due to pain and mobility issues. Though ankle surgeries vary in complexity, many can be conducted on an outpatient basis with the patient leaving the hospital on the same day as their operation. Some of the more common types of ankle surgery include ankle fracture surgery to address a broken bone and ankle fusion, triple fusion and ankle replacement for osteoarthritis conditions. Note that because of the risk of re-injury and ankle instability in patients who participate in lots of physical activities, ankle replacement surgery is usually reserved for patients aged 60 and older.