Dr. Simon Lee from Rush University Medical Center and Midwest Orthopedics in Chicago, Ill., discusses the evolution of total ankle replacements, and their recent increase in popularity as the technology and design has advanced, due in part to the evolution and from lessons learned from other joint replacement procedures like the knee and hip. He explains how ankle arthritis, mostly as a result of an injury, is extremely painful and one of the main reasons for patients to look to ankle replacement as a form of pain relief while retaining foot mobility. The previous standard of care included ankle fusion which greatly limits a patient’s mobility and can result in pain or arthritis developing in other parts of the body, such as the back.

Dr. Lee’s patient, Robert Corwin, was experiencing increasing ankle pain and was at the point that it was almost impossible to walk. Mr. Corwin explains that as an active judo instructor in Yorkville, Ill, having the ankle replacement surgery was the best option for him as it eliminated the pain, but also allowed him to keep his mobility and flexibility.

As patients go into recovery after the procedure, Dr. Lee outlines the time frame of being able to move the ankle within the first 6-8 week in physical therapy, and are about 3-4 months away from fully weight bearing and being able to do their routine actives.

The opinions of Dr. Lee are his alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.

Any results are specific to this particular individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level. There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.