Minimally invasive surgery can help treat ankle cartilage problems.
The ankle joint is amenable to many keyhole procedures, often due to the loss of cartilage lesions, or following an ankle ligament injury. Â
When we are younger we have smaller cartilage lesions from a sudden injury which is often associated with a ligament injury, whereas as we get older we often have more generalised cartilage loss from arthritis.Â
The smaller localised lesions can be managed with drill holes or cartilage augmentation procedures harvesting the cartilage form inside your ankle or form your knee. We often repair the ankle ligament at the same time, again with keyhole and minimally invasive techniques. For more widespread cartilage loss, we can smooth the remaining cartilage, but keeping within a healthy weight, keeping the joint strong and the occasional use of injections may be the best option until you need a fusion or joint replacement.Â
