“Which is better ankle fusion or ankle replacement?”

I suggest that you find a Board Certified, Fellowship Trained Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle specialist. Have him/her evaluate you, then you can get real information to answer your question.

Each one has pluses and minuses so whether one is better than the other is very individual and patient dependent. You have to discuss this with your orthopaedic surgeon.

Sorry you need any type pf surgery. There are pros and cons for both. You may want to visit us or another orthopedist to know the advantages and disadvantages so that you can make the best decision that will get you back to all your activities,

The benefits of ankle replacement include maintaining motion where a fusion loses all motion which can affect the joints proximally and distally. However, given your young age, this would probably require revisions over your lifetime which get more difficult each time it is done. That being said, a fusion can be a salvation procedure in the future if the ankle replacement doesn’t work or revisions are not possible due to bone loss. The questions that need to be asked first to help determine what is best for you, assuming that surgery is now the only alternative, is, what is the etiology of your ankle arthritis, how active are you (work, sports, recreation), can you modify those activities, etc. Best to have an orthopedic foot and ankle specialist do a thorough history and physical, lab work up, and proper radiological studies to help determine the best course of treatment for you.

Ron Noy, MD, FAAOS

With new technology, ankle replacement now has become a better option for osteoarthritis of the ankle. Depending on your activities, some ankle and foot orthopaedic surgeons will still recommend an ankle fusion (e.g. if you do hard, manual labor) while more and more are recommending an ankle replacement. Just remember, an ankle replacement will not last forever and if you have it done at age 39, there is a high likelihood that it will wear out and you may have to have another one done in your lifetime.

There are a lot of factors involved in making that decision including how active you are and how how much you weigh. Also your general health. I suggest you speak to your surgeon about these issues to help you make an informed decision

At 39, it’s more likely better to get a fusion with the intent to convert to an ankle replacement as you get older. There are always caveats to this, which depends on the deformity and other medical problems. That being said, our ankle replacements at getting better and lasting longer.