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Ankle Arthrosis

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Ankle Arthrosis

WHAT IS IT?

Arthrosis is a degenerative disease characterised by the deterioration of joint cartilage and which can affect any joint in the body.

Joints are points in the body where the bones meet. Cartilage is the specialised tissue found at the joints, covering the area where the bones connect in such a way that allows them to slide over one another with minimal friction. In the case of the ankle, this is called the talocrural joint.

CAUSES

Any event which injures the cartilage can cause joint injury or arthrosis. Over time, a small lesion to the cartilage can get bigger and lead to a significant loss of cartilage or even a degenerative disease in the joint. Events like traumatic injury, infection, inflammation, osteonecrosis (dead bone) and instability can cause the cartilage to deteriorate.

SYMPTOMS

The symptoms are joint pain and stiffness, generally following activity.

TREATMENT

Arthrosis does not have a cure, but there are therapies which can alleviate the symptoms and slow down degeneration:

  • Suitable physical activity.
  • Weight control.
  • Pharmaceutical therapy. Pharmacology.
  • Biological therapy using platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

These conservative treatments can postpone the need for surgical treatment. Ankle arthrosis can be stabilised and improve clinically through biological therapy using PRP injections.

PRP and ankle arthrosis.

PRP technology used on the ankle is carried out on an outpatient basis in the Biological Therapy Unit. After activating the PRP liquid, the ankle is injected via an anteromedial approach in the anterior recess of the ankle joint. The goal is to avoid performing any part of the injection within the synovial membrane. As such, the injection should not be painful.

There should be an interval of seven days between PRP applications, which is the time estimated for the tissue’s cell repair and remodelling processes to occur.