Does ankle replacement operation work? how much is replaced?

Right patient : The implants do well in the right patient. This is not a procedure done in everyone and risks must be carefully considered as well as prior treatment. There a a few implant types, all remove portions of the tibia and the talus and some require removal a part of the fibula.

They work both sides: They do work, both sides of the ankle joint are replaced.

Dr. P. is right!: Ankle replacements work. They are designed to provide pain relief while maintaining ankle range of motion. The goal is to remove a minimal amount of bone while eliminating the arthritic portions of the joint. Ankle replacement surgery is complicated both technically and from a decision making perspective. Make sure that you are treated by an orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon. www.aofas.org.

Yes depends on type: Ankle replacements replace both sides of the ankle joint (ie tibial and talar side). The minimum amount of bone and cartilage taken out is around 12mm. There are many different models of replacement with varying amount of bone removed. The sucess rate ranges from 90-95 in the first year and drops to 85-90% at 5 years. Pain is relieved and motion preserved or improved.