Osteoarthritis
Early wear and tear arthritis can often be eased by footwear adaptations, physiotherapy or anti-inflammatory medications. When the pain is partly due to arthritic spurs or uneven cartilage in the joint, surgery to remove or smooth these areas often helps greatly. This can be done by arthroscopy, or keyhole surgery, in many cases.
Severe arthritis might necessitate major surgery in the form of fusion or replacement of the joint. Fusion sounds drastic but is a very effective procedure under the right circumstances. Ankle joint replacement is a recent development which now has a definite place in treatment of ankle arthritis.