Ankle Replacement: An Option for
Less Pain and More Freedom
A year ago, ankle arthritis was keeping Cheryl Bernard off her feet. "I had gotten to the point where I just really could not walk on that ankle at all," says Cheryl. "By that time I was ready to try anything just to see if I could improve it." That's when Dr. Scott McMullen suggested ankle replacement surgery.
In x-rays taken a year prior to the surgery, Dr. McMullen saw that the left ankle was completely arthritic and the cartilage was worn down, with bone rubbing on bone.
But in an x-ray taken after the surgery, the bones are now separated by Cheryl's new ankle, made of two pieces of metal and a sliver of plastic.
"What that allows for is a combination of downward and upward motion of the ankle joint as well as a slight side-to-side rotation," says Dr. McMullen.
Doctor's orders kept Cheryl off her ankle after her surgery. She spent the first six weeks sitting in a wheelchair so she wouldn't break her new, fragile ankle.
"We then typically allow for some weight bearing over the course of the second six weeks using crutches or a walker, hopefully allowing full weight bearing within three months time," says Dr. McMullen.
Now, six months after the surgery, Cheryl is feeling less pain and more freedom. She's looking forward to all the things she couldn't do a year ago.
"Hopefully, when spring comes, I'll be able to go out and plant my flowers - that's what I'm hoping," says Cheryl.
Find out more about the Alegent Health Orthopaedic Institute.
