COLUMBIA, Tenn. — Patients at Maury Regional Medical Center (MRMC) now have a new option to treat end-stage and debilitating ankle arthritis.
In the past, patients with severe ankle arthritis typically turned to ankle fusion, where the ankle bones are fused together surgically to relieve pain. While total ankle arthroplasty — a surgical procedure to restore function to the joint — has been performed at MRMC since 2016, surgeons now have advanced technology to perform total ankle replacement.
On Dec. 2, MRMC orthopedic surgeons Carson Strickland, MD, and Randall Davidson Jr., MD, performed the first total ankle replacement surgery at MRMC utilizing the Infinity Total Ankle System with Prophecy Surgical Planning from Stryker. This innovative technology is a more patient-specific technique and allows surgeons to precisely1 size and place an implant in relation to the patient’s anatomy.
“In the past, when people had ankle arthritis that failed conservative management, they were offered an ankle fusion. Though a good operation, people often complained of stiffness and a gait that did not feel natural. Now, there are joint sacrificing options that preserve motion and the literature2 is showing that ankle replacement may be a better option than fusion for some patients,” Dr. Strickland said. “The technology has been there for a long time for knee and hip replacements, and it’s starting to catch up with ankles.”
Surgeons performing a total ankle replacement replace damaged cartilage with an implant that can bend and flex easily, similar to the native ankle joint. As opposed to fusion surgery, which immobilizes the ankle to relieve arthritis pain, the implant allows for more motion, and recovery time can also be significantly shorter, allowing for earlier weight bearing3.
The total ankle replacement offering from Stryker provides three different implants that can be selected for a specific patient, as well as patient-specific instrumentation through the use of custom 3D-printed guides in the operating room. This allows for more reliable and reproducible1 component placement in an anatomic position, as well as reduced surgical time and X-ray exposure4 in the operating room.
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“The goal is to give the patient the best chance to have a good, functional outcome and preserve the longevity of the implants,” Dr. Davidson said. “I have been doing total ankles at Maury Regional since 2016 and believe this new technology should improve the long-term results of the procedure.”
Total ankle replacement surgery is ideal for patients with severe ankle arthritis caused by a previous injury, osteoarthritis — caused by gradual wear and tear — or rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune inflammatory disease.
Most ankle arthritis can be linked to a previous injury or series of small, repeated injuries, like isolated sprains or strains suffered over a period of several years.
“When it’s affecting your lifestyle and you can’t walk pain-free, it may be time to surgically intervene to improve your quality of life,” Dr. Strickland said. “You don’t have to live with the pain.”
To learn more about joint replacement surgery at MRMC, visit MauryRegional.com/joint-replacement.
For more information about foot and ankle solutions from Stryker, including total ankle replacements, visit footankle.stryker.com.
The information presented in this release is for educational purposes only. Stryker is not dispensing medical advice. Please speak to your doctor to decide if ankle replacement surgery is right for you. Only your doctor can make the medical judgment as to which products and treatments are right for your own individual condition. As with any surgery, ankle replacement carries certain risks. Your surgeon will explain all the possible complications of the surgery, as well as side effects. Additionally, the lifetime of an ankle replacement is not infinite and varies with each individual. Also, each patient will experience a different post-operative activity level, depending on their own individual clinical factors. Your doctor will help counsel you about how to best maintain your activities in order to potentially prolong the lifetime of the device.
1 Hsu et al. Foot Ankle Int. May 4 2015.
2 Shih et al. J Foot Ankle Surg 2020, 1032-39
3 Brodsky Foot Ankle Int. 2013
4 Hamid et al. Foot Ankle Int. Jan 2017;38(1):49-57.