Corrective surgery in the setting of Arthritis
Advanced Care for Arthritic Joint Conditions
Arthritis can be a debilitating disease to suffer from. Patients will complain of chronic pain, pain with every step, and inability to perform daily life activities. The most common cause of arthritis is known as Osteoarthritis also known as “wear and tear”. Age is a big factor however osteoarthritis can be caused by long term misalignment of joints, untreated foot conditions, job/profession related, or in the setting of trauma (post-traumatic). Osteoarthritis is commonly seen in the big toe joint, midfoot joints, rearfoot joints, and ankle joints.
Frequently successfully treated with anti-inflammatories, corticosteroid injections, topical medication, orthotics and shoe gear modification. For those who fail conservative measures surgery may be indicated.
Other less common causes of arthritis can be auto-immune such as Rheumatoid arthritis and Psoriatic arthritis. In these cases the body perceives your own joints as something foreign, causing an immunological response targeting your own joints causing pain and long term damage. These types of arthritis can cause debilitating pain and advanced bone and joint disease if left untreated or undertreated. Establishing care with a Rheumatologist is paramount to treat these types of arthritides. However, some patients will inherently develop chronic pain and deformity secondary to autoimmune arthritis. For these cases surgical management can help.
Midfoot or Rear Foot Arthritis
Joints in the middle and back of the foot can become arthritic. Sometimes there are
deformities or misalignments present in the foot such as flat feet or high arches leading
to abnormal movement of these joints causing excessive wear and tear. Frequently
conservative management such as bracing, orthotics, shoe gear modification, and
corticosteroids can help relief pain.
When conservative measure fail your surgeon may suggest a “fusion” of the affected
joint or joints. Fusions are medically known as “arthrodesis”, during these procedures
the joints are stripped of all the arthritis, any misalignments or deformities are corrected,
and the positioning is held with a combination of screws, staples, or plates. These
procedures make two bones into one, thus eliminating the painful arthritic joint or joints.
These are bigger corrective procedures and typically demand long periods of non-
weight bearing to the operative foot, anywhere from 8-12 weeks.
The procedure of choice for an arthritic flat foot is known as a Triple Arthrodesis. In this
procedure the surgeon will fuse two or three joints that are arthritic to relief pain. This
procedure can correct misalignments of the foot caused by the flat feet and relief the
arthritic pain. A lenghtening of your Achilles tendon is performed in conjunction.
More on Triple Arthrodesis: HERE