Ankle osteoarthritis
The ankle joint provides the foot with an up and down movement although when walking, much of that movement is actually happening at other foot joints. The ankle can become arthritic due to injury or degenerative disease ("wear and tear"). Patients experience pain, swelling, stiffness and giving way in various proportions. The pain can be strikingly variable but is often deep or knawing, tending to be worse with use. Any injury might have been years ago, or might be in the form of repeated ankle twists rather than one big event.
Once the diagnosis is made, the knowledge that it can be treated is sometimes enough to render the symptoms tolerable.
Analgesics, anti-inflammatories (tablets or gels) or orthotic cushioning for the heels all have a part to play. Arthritic spurs can form at the edges of the joint, contributing to the pain. Removing these is called cheilectomy and can be done either arthroscopically or conventionally (open cheilectomy). An irretrievably arthritic joint is best treated either by fusion (arthrodesis) or replacement. Arthrodesis is usually now done by keyhole surgery (arthroscopic ankle fusion). Each treatment has its benefits and drawbacks which your surgeon can discuss with you.