Ankle Arthritis in Orange County

The pain and stiffness you feel in your feet and ankles could be arthritis. If left untreated, this nagging pain can grow worse, eventually becoming so excruciating that you can no longer walk even short distances. Severe arthritis can restrict your mobility and limit your quality of life, but with proper treatment, you can slow the development of arthritis and lead a more productive life. Our Foot and Ankle Surgeon / Podiatrist in Orange County can help with your ankle arthritis at our Irvine, CA, Huntington Beach, CA, Newport Beach, CA, or Orange, CA offices.

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There are many different types of arthritis. The most common type, osteoarthritis, results from the "wear and tear" damage to joint cartilage (the soft tissue between joint bones) that comes with age. The result is inflammation, redness, swelling, and pain in the joint.Also, a sudden and traumatic injury such as a broken bone, torn ligament, or ankle sprain can cause the injured joint to become arthritic in the future. Sometimes a traumatic injury will result in arthritis in the injured joint even though the joint received proper medical care at the time of injury.

 

Another common type, rheumatoid arthritis, is an inflammatory condition caused by an irritation of the joint lining (the synovium). People with rheumatoid arthritis for at least 10 years almost always develop arthritis in some part of the foot or ankle. Other types of inflammatory arthritis include gout, lupus, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis. Proper treatment of foot and ankle arthritis addresses both pain and joint deformity.

 

Pain develops when the joint is injured. Injury to the joint may result from swelling caused by inflammatory arthritis or from the loss of joint surface (cartilage), often caused by trauma. If left untreated, the foot and ankle may eventually become deformed. If our Orange County Foot and Ankle Surgeon suspects you have arthritis of the foot and ankle, he will ask you to have a complete medical history and physical examination. X-rays and laboratory tests often can confirm the type and extent of the arthritis.

 

Other tests for ankle arthritis in Orange County such as a bone scan, computed tomography (CT) scan, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be used to evaluate your condition. Once our Orange County Podiatrist confirms you have arthritis, he will recommend a treatment regimen which may include medications by mouth (anti-inflammatories), injections (steroids), physical therapy, weight loss, or orthotics such as pads in your shoes or custom-made braces.

 

If conservative treatment fails, surgery may be necessary. This may mean cleaning the arthritic joint, eliminating the painful motion of the joint through a fusion procedure, or replacing the joint with ankle joint replacement. After ankle surgery in Orange County, you will require a period of rehabilitation when your foot might have to be in a cast and you might have to wear special shoes or braces for a while.

 

For more complete information about the treatments for Ankle Arthritis in Orange County, please visit the Our Services page or see the links below:

 

Ankle Arthroscopy

Ankle Fusion (Arthrodesis)

Ankle Replacement (Arthroplasty)

 

Please contact our office in Irvine, Orange, Newport Beach, or Huntington Beach in Orange County, CA to make an appointment with our foot and ankle surgeon / podiatrist (Dr. Coyer) to have your ankle arthritis in Orange County fully evaluated.