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The pain and stiffness you feel in your feet and ankles as you age could be arthritis. If left untreated, the pain can get worse and eventually make walking short distances difficult. Severe arthritis can restrict your mobility, but with proper treatment, you can minimize pain and restore your quality of life. A foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon can help you locate the source of your pain and determine the best course of treatment.

What is arthritis?

Arthritis can affect any joint in the body and typically strikes one or more joints in adults over age 50. Arthritis occurs as your joints loose the cartilage that acts as a shock absorber. Without this cushioning, moving your joints becomes painful, and in an effort to replace the padding, your body produces synovium, a fluid in the joint lining. Synovium production causes swelling, which restricts motion and leads to pain. The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Different Types of Arthritis

The foot and ankle can develop these different types of arthritis:

Osteoarthritis — This form is due to wear and tear and is common in middle-aged adults. Osteoarthritis occurs when cartilage that covers the ends of bones tears or frays. This causes pain, stiffness and swelling in the joint since it no longer can move as freely. Age, obesity and family history are the primary causes of osteoarthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) — This type of arthritis is a systemic disease that attacks multiple joints throughout the body. About 90% of people with RA eventually develop symptoms related to the foot or ankle. Patients can have flare ups and periods of severe pain, swelling and even fever. While the exact cause of RA is unknown, some people may have genetic markers that make them more susceptible, and the disease is triggered through infection or elements in the environment.

Post-Traumatic Arthritis — When an ankle or foot is sprained or fractured, it can develop arthritis years after the injury. This form is similar in symptoms to osteoarthritis. Even if a joint heals properly, an injured joint has a 70 percent greater risk of becoming arthritic.

Which joints in the foot and ankle are at risk of developing arthritis?

The foot has more than 30 joints and 26 bones that are held together by a multitude of ligaments. Most often, when arthritis develops in the foot, a patient may have difficulties walking or balancing.

Common sites for arthritis development include:

  • Ankle or tibiotalar joint
  • Joints of the hindfoot — the subtalar, talonavicular and calcaneocuboid joints
  • Midfoot or tarsometatarsal joints
  • Big toe or first phalangeall joint

Patients with any form of arthritis may experience pain, swelling, stiffness and even difficulty in walking. At the first signs of discomfort, check with an orthopaedic surgeon who can diagnose and help you determine how to get relief from your symptoms. In most cases, arthritis is treated conservatively with pain relievers, physical therapy, range of motion exercises, steroid injections and some patients benefit from orthotics (special shoe inserts that help evenly distribute pressure in the foot).

If you are severely impacted by arthritis, your orthopaedic surgeon may recommend surgery. Our dedicated team of specialists perform arthroscopic debridement to clean the joint of any loose tissue or bony growths causing pain; fusion to make the joint a single bone; and arthroplasty joint replacement surgeries to regain mobility and get relief from constant ankle pain.

Dependable Orthopaedic Surgeons

Whether you’re concerned about your foot and ankle arthritis, or are in search of other orthopaedic services, schedule an appointment with one of our orthopaedic specialists at one of our seven convenient locations throughout the Triangle.

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