Surgical Options: Foot & Ankle Conditions

Patients who have suffered severe damage from a foot and ankle trauma or the advancement of a degenerative condition may be advised to pursue a surgical solution. Likewise, surgery is usually recommended for patients who have exhausted nonsurgical treatment options with minimal relief.

Surgical care may be reconstructive in nature and aimed at restoring a particular anatomical component (such as a fractured bone or torn ligament) that has been damaged by trauma. For patients with compound fractures, reconstructive surgery is needed to restore proper alignment of displaced bone fragments. After foot or ankle ligaments, which provide musculoskeletal support by joining bones to other bones, are torn or severely sprained, reconstructive surgery is often needed to reattach the affected ligament to its associated bones.

Patients with chronic joint conditions require surgical care that targets damaged cartilage and tissue; rather than being reconstructed, degraded components may need to be removed and replaced. Ankle arthroplasty, which involves the total replacement of the ankle joint with functional prosthetic components, may be recommended for patients with severe arthritis and advanced degenerative joint conditions.