Ankle arthritis

An osteoarthritic ankle

Compare to the normal ankle x-ray. The joint space is narrowed(1), there are outgrowths of bone around the joint(2), the bone beneath the joint surfaces is thickened and dense(3).

A normal ankle

The commonest surgical treatments for the severely arthritic ankle are either an fusion or a joint replacement. In less advanced or less symptomatic cases other surgical managements may work.
There is no precise definition of severe arthritis and a persons appreciation of pain, the commonest complaint in arthritis, is very subjective. However a clear example of severely arthritic symptoms would be ankle pain, continually present, resticted walking to 15 minutes only, responds little to painkillers and little changed or worsening over a number of months.
Often, though not invariably, such symptoms are associated with advanced x-ray changes such as loss of the joint space, thickening of the bone and outgrowths of bone around the joint known as osteophytes.

An osteoarthritic ankle showing spurs
of bone(or osteophytes) at both
the talus(1) and the tibia(2).

What causes ankle osteoarthritis?
Most people with degenerative change of the ankle joint have a history of some injury to the joint. This is most commonly due to a disruption of the joints smooth articular surface or congruity or a longstanding instability due to ligament injury.
It is less likely to occur without any identifiable cause (known as primary, or Idiopathic osteoarthritis, which is common in the knee and hip), but can do.