Arthritis Upper East Side, NY
Experience Pain Relief With Help From Our Team
There are various causes of arthritis that cause pain in the joints and make mobility difficult. The most common types of arthritis in the ankles are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. If you have been suffering from arthritic ankle pain and haven’t found relief with nonsurgical methods, our specialists for ankle arthritis treatment in the Upper East Side, NY, offer surgical relief options.
Types of Arthritis
The two most common types of arthritis that affect the joints of the ankles include:
Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis causes the cartilage in your joints to break down. This causes pain and inhibits your joint’s ability to move. Also called degenerative joint disease and degenerative arthritis, you are not alone if you suffer from osteoarthritis in your ankles. Approximately 27 million Americans live with osteoarthritis every day.
Rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes your body to mistakenly attack your joints in the same way it would fight off an infection. This causes inflammation in your joints that inhibits their mobility. If not treated, the inflammation can eventually cause the cartilage in your joints to break down, causing significant pain and further hindering your mobility.
Rheumatoid arthritis, which afflicts approximately 1.5 million Americans, can affect more than your joints. It is crucial that you seek treatment right away if you believe you suffer from this condition.
Treatment Options for Arthritis
Conservative treatment options include physical therapy, pain relievers, braces, and special supportive shoes. Surgical intervention can help address chronic cases that do not resolve with conservative treatments. These may include:
- Ankle fusion. During this procedure, the arthritic surfaces of the bone are removed and the remaining bone is fused together with plates and screws. While this procedure is extremely effective at providing pain relief, the patient will lose mobility of the ankle.
- Ankle arthroscopy. This is a minimally invasive procedure for milder cases of arthritis. Our surgeon makes a small incision in your ankle and uses a tiny camera to go into the ankle and remove bone debris or pieces of cartilage from the joint.
- Joint distraction arthroplasty. This procedure involves pulling the joint surfaces apart and using pins and an external frame to hold the bones in place. It stimulates cartilage repair using bone marrow stem cells. The frame is worn for about three months and then switched to a walking boot.
- Joint replacement. Replacing your entire ankle joint is a complex procedure that is generally performed on patients with advanced arthritis that has destroyed an extensive amount of the joint surface. Unlike ankle fusion, joint replacement preserves some mobility of the ankle. Our surgeon removes damaged cartilage, reshapes bone surfaces, and attaches an artificial joint using stabilizing bone grafts and screws.
Recovery & Aftercare
Your recovery time depends on which surgery you undergo. It is recommended that patients stay off their feet for a certain period of time and avoid physical activity to ensure proper healing and optimal pain relief. Our doctor will provide more detail during your consultation and provide more specific aftercare instructions following your surgery.
Contact Us for Ankle Arthritis Treatment in the Upper East Side, NY, Today
To experience our award-winning podiatric care, schedule your New Patient Consultation today by calling (646) 657-0070. You may also click here for our convenient online form. Your appointment includes the following:
- Discuss Your Goals
- Have All Your Questions Answered
- Complete Examination
- Custom Treatment Options
During your appointment, we will take the time to answer all your questions about our advanced treatments, cutting-edge technology, and anything else you may want to know about us!
