ANKLE REPLACEMENT:
Ankle replacement surgery was pioneered
in the early 1970s. Similar to a shoulder, knee or hip, the
ankle joint is replaced with a artificial device. Dr. Steven
Herbst explained that the performance of the initial
implants made it a less desirable option.
“For 15 years there was only one FDA-approved device. In the
past 24-36 months, two new choices have become available to
us,” Dr. Herbst said. “They resolved a lot of the problems
the previous implant had.”
Ankle replacement is primarily performed to treat the
deterioration and pain resulting from arthritis. Typically
patients are at least 50 years old.
“Previously the standard treatment would have been to fuse
the bones of the back of the foot,” said Dr. Herbst. “In the
past I might do one replacement for every 13 fusions. Now,
because replacements seem to be working so well, that the
ratio has jumped to 1 to 1.”
According to Dr. Herbst, ankle replacement patients are
experiencing better pain relief, faster recovery and
improved walking gait compared to bone fusion patients.
By early 2009, there will be at least one more ankle
prosthetic available. Dr. Herbst has worked with Zimmer in
developing a device. He is the co-patent holder with five
others.
Dr. Herbst performs the surgery at the Saint John’s
Orthopedic Surgery Center on a same-day outpatient basis.
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