2. Certified in Foot and Ankle Surgery by the
American Board of Podiatric Surgery and
licensed in New Jersey, Ronald Sollitto, MD,
DPM, MPH, is an experienced foot and ankle
surgeon with hospital privileges at Hackensack
University Medical Center and St. Mary’s
Hospital, formerly Passaic Beth Israel Hospital
Center in Passaic, NJ.
3. A few decades ago, people with severe or
advanced osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or
post-traumatic arthritis of the ankle had one
surgical option to relieve the disabling pain and
joint stiffness: arthrodesis. This technique
involves exposing the joint, removing any
remaining cartilage, and fusing the bones with
screws or plates. However, without an intact
joint, motion is limited, particularly up-and-down
movement. Searching for a better solution, the
medical community made huge advances in
prosthesis development in the late 1990s,
making total ankle replacement, or arthroplasty,
a viable option.
4. Common for knee and hip problems,
arthroplasty replaces a damaged joint with an
artificial implant. During ankle replacement, the
surgeon makes an incision at the front of the
ankle, removes cartilage, and shapes the bone
surfaces. The surgeon then inserts the implant,
which has two metal parts and a plastic spacer.
The top section fits into the tibia (shinbone),
and the bottom goes on top of the bone leading
to the ankle. The procedure is typically
performed in about two hours.
5. Depending on the patient’s condition prior to
surgery, it can take three months to resume
normal activity. The implant should last at least
10 years.
6. Depending on the patient’s condition prior to
surgery, it can take three months to resume
normal activity. The implant should last at least
10 years.
