Table of Contents
Overview
There are various type of ankle deformities. Unfortunately many arthritic ankles are not straight. This is one reason why total ankle replacement can be challenging to get consistent results. It takes considerable experience to perform total ankle replacement on deformed or distorted ankles. Some surgeons will simply recommend ankle fusion because of the deformity complexity.
The deformities outlined below can be usually related to a traumatic incident cause direct injury to the ankle in the form of a severe ligament injury or fracture trauma. Sometimes the injury took place decades prior to the onset of pain symptoms.
Types
Some of the common patterns of deformity are:
Varus Ankle
This ankle deformity is where the foot turns sideways toward the opposite foot. It is in the direction of a typical ankle sprain.
Valgus Ankle
This deformity is where the foot turns sideways away from the opposite foot.
Talolisthesis
This deformity is where the talus translates forward or backward relative to the axis of the leg.
