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Nonoperative Management of Ankle Arthritis

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Evaluation and Surgical Management of the Ankle

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Abstract

Ankle pain is a common patient complaint due to soft-tissue and bone related causes. When arthritis of the ankle is diagnosed, the earliest subjective clinical feature is pain with weightbearing. Objectively, the ankle presents with swelling and stiffness. Radiographically, the ankle joint routinely displays spurring about the margins of the joint and degeneration of the cartilage surface. Evidence supporting conservative treatment of asymmetric ankle arthritis is limited. However, nonoperative care is often the initial recommended treatment based on provider experience and patient preferences. Nonoperative care of ankle arthritis is therapeutic and a powerful form of management that gives the surgeon combinations of medicines, articular injections to the ankle, orthotics, bracing, and shoe modification to achieve a successful treatment goal.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Minnesota/CentraCare, Saint Cloud, MN, USA

    David E. Karges

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, USA

    Philip Shaheen

Authors
  1. David E. Karges
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  2. Philip Shaheen
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Correspondence to David E. Karges .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Bone and Joint Disease, Hudson, FL, USA

    Dolfi Herscovici Jr.

  2. Hughston Orthopedic Trauma, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Jeffrey O. Anglen

  3. Texas Orthopaedic Associates, Dallas, TX, USA

    John S. Early

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Karges, D.E., Shaheen, P. (2023). Nonoperative Management of Ankle Arthritis. In: Herscovici Jr., D., Anglen, J.O., Early, J.S. (eds) Evaluation and Surgical Management of the Ankle. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33537-2_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33537-2_20

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-33536-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-33537-2

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