Rediscover the freedom of movement.

Ankle arthritis can force you to step away from doing the activities you love, the activities that often define you.

Find out about treatment options, watch patient success stories, and learn about Stryker’s Total Ankle Replacement procedure that can be customized to your unique ankle anatomy to relieve pain and increase mobility — so you can return to doing the things that make life fun. That make you happy. That make you, you.

Understand your ankle pain

Ankle arthritis occurs when the protective cartilage between bones gradually wears down, causing bones to rub together. This bone-on-bone contact causes pain and makes it more difficult to move. Ankle arthritis can range from less severe to more severe. Total Ankle Replacement is a treatment for severe ankle arthritis.

Symptoms of ankle arthritis

  • Tenderness or pain
  • Reduced ability to move, walk, or bear weight
  • Stiffness
  • Swelling

Main causes of ankle arthritis

  • Previous injuries: Either a single trauma or a series of small, repeated injuries, such as sprains and strains endured over years of exercising and activity
  • Osteoarthritis (OA): Results from aging and gradual wear on the ankle over time
  • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): An autoimmune disease causing joint inflammation

Watch Jim’s Success Story

“My ankle’s back to where it was in my mid-40s.”

Explore your treatment options

Non-surgical options
Used for less severe arthritis

  • Pain medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen
  • Shoe inserts such as pads and arch supports
  • Ankle-foot orthosis (AFO), a plastic brace worn on the lower leg and foot
  • Steroid injections into the ankle

Surgical options
For less severe to moderately severe arthritis

  • Debridement: Procedure removes bone spurs and loose pieces of cartilage, if these are causing ankle pain

For severe arthritis

  • Ankle fusion: Ankle bones are fused together. Because the joint cannot move or bend, there is less pain, but there is often an irregular gait (walking stride)
  • Total ankle replacement: An artificial implant allows the ankle to move and bend without pain. Person regains a more normal gait (walking stride). In fact, four out of five doctors surveyed agree that patients who undergo total ankle replacement have a better quality of life after the procedure!*

See comparison chart: Replace or fuse?

*Based on survey conducted by PearlDiver Technologies, Inc. in April, 2018.

Watch Cassandra’s Success Story

“Ankle replacement gave me my life back.”

Discover total ankle replacement

Total ankle replacement is for severe ankle arthritis. In ankle replacement, the physician replaces damaged cartilage with an implant that bends and flexes easily, similar to a healthy ankle. Ankle replacement relieves ankle pain and increases mobility, allowing you to get back to activities you love. And it can take half the recovery time of the traditional procedure, ankle fusion. See the comparison chart below.

Procedure customized to your ankle anatomy
Only Stryker Total Ankle Replacement procedures feature a personalized preoperative navigation system option. Using a CT scan of your ankle in advance of your surgery, Stryker can create a plan for sizing and aligning the implant to your unique anatomy, for the most natural fit possible.

Download your Physician Discussion Guide

Watch Deven’s Success Story

“I can continue the job I love and provide for my family.”

Total Ankle Replacement vs. Fusion

Before Total Ankle Replacement, most patients would get an ankle fusion to help relieve end-stage ankle arthritis pain. While ankle fusion is still an effective option for relieving ankle arthritis pain, it prevents motion and many studies1-5 have shown benefits of Total Ankle Replacement over ankle fusion.

Watch Karen’s Success Story

“Not everyone is a candidate for ankle replacement, but if they are…the surgery is absolutely the way to go.”

Watch more patient success stories

Meet some other individuals who were convinced they’d never enjoy their favorite activities again—until their lives were transformed by Stryker Total Ankle Replacement.

Johnny
Becky
Dan
Len

References:

  1. Pedowitz DI, Kane JM, Smith GM, Saffel HL, Comer C, Raikin SM. Total ankle arthroplasty versus ankle arthrodesis: a comparative analysis of arc of movement and functional outcomes. Bone Joint J. May 2016;98-B(5):634-640.
  2. Seo SG, Kim EJ, Lee DJ, Bae KJ, Lee KM, Lee DY. Comparison of Multisegmental Foot and Ankle Motion Between Total Ankle Replacement and Ankle Arthrodesis in Adults. Foot Ankle Int. Sep 2017;38(9):1035-1044.
  3. Dekker TJ, Hamid KS, Federer AE, et al. The Value of Motion: Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Are Correlated With Range of Motion in Total Ankle Replacement. Foot Ankle Spec. Dec 1 2017:1938640017750258.
  4. Odum SM, Van Doren BA, Anderson RB, Davis WH. In-Hospital Complications Following Ankle Arthrodesis Versus Ankle Arthroplasty: A Matched Cohort Study. J Bone Joint Surg Am. Sep 06 2017;99(17):1469-1475.
  5. Younger AS, Wing KJ, Glazebrook M, et al. Patient expectation and satisfaction as measures of operative outcome in end-stage ankle arthritis: a prospective cohort study of total ankle replacement versus ankle fusion. Foot Ankle Int. Feb 2015;36(2):123-134.
  6. https://www.dukehealth.org/blog/ankle-fusion-or-ankle-replacement
  7. Stavrakis AI, SooHoo NF. Trends in complication rates following ankle arthrodesis and total ankle replacement. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2016;98(17):1453-1458.
  8. SooHoo NF, Zingmond DS, Ko CY. Comparison of reoperation rates following ankle arthrodesis and total ankle arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2007;89(10):2143-2149.
  9. Younger AS, Wing KJ, Glazebrook M, et al., Patient expectation and satisfaction as measures of operative outcome in end-stage ankle arthritis: a prospective cohort study of total ankle replacement versus ankle fusion. Foot Ankle Int. Feb 2015;36(2):123-134.
PearlDiver Technologies, Inc. April, 2017

Important Information

Important Safety Information is available here.

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. Only a physician can tell you if this product and associated procedure are right for you and your unique circumstances. Please consult with a physician for complete information regarding benefits, risks, anticipated implant duration and possible outcomes.