Total Ankle Replacement vs. Ankle Fusion

When considering surgical options for severe ankle arthritis, patients are often presented with two main choices: total ankle replacement and ankle fusion surgery. While both procedures aim to alleviate pain, they have distinct differences and benefits.

Ankle Fusion — Also known as arthrodesis, ankle fusion has long been the traditional surgical treatment for end-stage ankle arthritis. This procedure involves removing the arthritic joint surfaces and fusing the bones in your ankle (the tibia to the talus), effectively eliminating motion at the ankle joint. While fusion can be effective in relieving pain, it comes with certain limitations.

Total Ankle Replacement — Total ankle replacement uses a sophisticated medical implate that aims to mimic how your natural ankle moves and rotates. Compared to fusion, total ankle replacment offers several potential advantages, including preserving motion, reducing stress on adjacent joints, improved function and gait, and a faster recovery.

• Replaces your damaged, painful joint with an implant that enables motion
• Helps you maintain motion in your ankle, similar to the movement of a healthy ankle
• Retaining movement in your ankle can help you continue to walk normally
• Can bear weight on your ankle in as little as six-weeks after surgery^*, allowing you to get back to your active lifestyle faster
• Less stress on surrounding foot joints
• Lower rates of hospital readmission, wound infection, and re-operation^*
• Able to wear shoes such as boots or high heels
• Higher patient satisfaction^*

• Fuses the bones in your ankle into one piece to significantly reduce motion and relieve ankle arthritis pain
• Ankle joint can no longer move or rotate
• Limited mobility can change how you walk, affecting things like walking on uneven surfaces such as the beach
• Can take 12 or more weeks to bear weight after surgery ^*
• Added stress on surrounding joints increases risk of more arthritis
• Significantly higher rates of hospital readmission, wound infection, and re-operation ^*
• Unable to wear shoes such as boots or high heels
• Lower patient satisfaction^*