Dr. Steven Neufeld of Falls Church, Virginia, has helped bring total ankle replacements to the forefront of medical procedures, pioneering the program in the INOVA Health System. The surgery provides his patients with a pain-free ankle and full range of motion, allowing them to get back to the activities they love.
To see the benefits of total ankle replacement you have to look no further than Dr. Neufeld’s patient Karen Navarro, who spent years playing softball and had suffered from ankle pain ever since she sprained it at the age of 25. Now 54, Karen reached her breaking point when she could no longer perform everyday tasks. Upon meeting with Dr. Neufeld and learning total ankle replacement was an option, she immediately scheduled an appointment to have her ankle replaced with the INFINITY® Total Ankle System. The procedure was a success and returned her ankle to its pain-free state. She now goes to the gym regularly and is back to enjoying the outdoors and trips with her fiancé.
The opinions of Dr. Neufeld and Karen Navarro are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.
Any results are specific to this particular individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level. There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.
Taking his three children to Disney World for the very first time should have been a dream come true for Tulsa-resident Chris Dodder. Unfortunately, the lasting effects of an injury he sustained to his left ankle while playing soccer in college threatened to ruin that dream. The constant, nagging ankle pain and numbness made it challenging for me to keep up with my seven, nine and eleven year old children during my recent vacation.
After meeting with Dr. Westley Stotler of Tulsa Bone and Joint Chris learned he was an ideal candidate for a total ankle replacement. On March 11, 2015 Dr. Stotler implanted an INBONE® Total Ankle System in Chris’ left ankle. Since receiving his implant Chris has been able to get back to what he loves—being active and coaching his children’s many sports teams—pain free.
The opinions of Dr. Stotler and Chris Dodder are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.
Any results are specific to this particular individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level. There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.
Real estate agent Lynette Parsons has suffered from ankle pain and arthritis since age 14. After being in pain for decades, walking with a cane and dreading stormy weather that made her ankle hurt even more, she wanted to find a solution. Lynette began interviewing a span of doctors in as far as Europe to explore her options until she met Dr. Jason Piraino of UF Health in Jacksonville, Fla. and learned that ankle replacement was her best option.
As a real estate agent, Lynette didn’t want her job to suffer, and with a total ankle replacement, her work didn’t skip a beat. Dr. Piraino explained that doctors take a CT or CAT scan, send the results to the manufacturer and the patient specific guides are created. He said the technology has greatly improved in the last 10 years. In fact, Lynette hardly missed work after the procedure and has been living pain-free ever since.
The opinions of Dr. Jason Piraino and Lynette Parsons are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.
Any results are specific to this particular individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level. There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.
Chris Dodder, a father who loves to stay active with his three kids and coaches their sports teams, suffered decades of ankle pain after playing soccer at the University of Tulsa. The university’s turf technology wasn’t advanced at the time and caused him to begin experiencing ankle pain. He suffered from ankle problems throughout college and had surgery at the end of his career, which doctors told him would provide relief for about 20 years. About 20 years later, Chris went to Disney World with his children and was in so much pain that he couldn’t keep up with them at the park and decided it was time to see a doctor about fixing his left ankle.
Chris met with Dr. Stotler of Tulsa Bone & Joint Associates, and he received the INBONE® Total Ankle System in early 2015. After conducting 30-40 ankle replacements per year, Dr. Stotler was able to determine that Chris was the perfect candidate for the INBONE® Total Ankle. Since receiving the ankle replacement, Chris lives virtually pain-free after a short amount of recovery time.
The opinions of Dr. Stotler and Chris Dodder are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.
Any results are specific to this particular individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level. There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.
Scott Quillen joined his brother for a mini bike test drive in March 2010 and fell off the bike, resulting in a shattered fibula and a compound dislocation of his right ankle. Although the rest of Scott’s leg healed after the accident, his ankle began causing him severe pain shortly after the accident. Scott’s pain became unbearable to the point that his quality of life was at zero, and he discussed the option of amputation with a fellow veteran who underwent the procedure to determine if it would be the best option for him.
A couple of years after the accident, Scott met another ankle pain sufferer at a tag sale, and she told Scott to meet Dr. Collin Ball in London to discuss a total ankle replacement, which she had just underwent. Scott immediately scheduled an appointment with Dr. Ball, and the doctor decided that Scott met the requirements for candidacy to receive a new total ankle replacement for his right foot. Dr. Ball explained that not everyone is a candidate for total ankle replacement, but three years later Scott is still living a full life and is able to enjoy the outdoor activities that he enjoys and missed those years that he suffered from the severe ankle pain.
The opinions of Dr. Ball and Scott Quillen are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.
Any results are specific to this particular individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level. There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.
Janet Kinser broke her right leg and ankle more than 20 years ago in a roller skating accident, and although her leg healed, her right ankle deteriorated over the years to the point of severe constant pain from bone-on-bone rubbing. Eventually, Janet couldn’t enjoy the outdoor activities she enjoyed most because of the pain, and she decided to seek help.
Dr. Corey Rosenbaum of Florida Hospital Flagler in Palm Coast performed the hospital’s first total ankle replacement on Janet’s right ankle last fall. After the procedure, Janet had no pain in her ankle and now walks and exercises outside free of pain. Dr. Rosenbaum explained that with better implant technology, he is now able to conduct the procedure more easily and that the main goal of the replacement is to reduce the patient’s pain, improve mobility and improve stability in the ankle joint.
The opinions of Dr. Rosenbaum and Janet Kinser are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.
Any results are specific to this particular individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level. There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.
Dr. Jesse Doty of UT Erlanger Foot and Ankle Institute answers a reader’s question about when to consider ankle replacement. Dr. Doty suggests that patients who have completed at least six months of therapy with bracing, anti-inflammatory medications and a cane or crutches, with little success, may be good candidates for an ankle replacement. He explains that if a patient is deemed a good candidate their physician will remove the worn-out joint surface and resurface with a metal alloy and a plastic spacer, replacing the damaged cartilage surfaces.
The opinions of Dr. Doty are his alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.
Any results are specific to this particular individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level. There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.
At the age of 50, Massachusetts resident Ron Lagasse began experiencing shooting pain in his right ankle and chalked it up to typical aches and pains. Quickly, the pain worsened and his active lifestyle of Warparticipating in outdoor activities was reduced to debilitating pain from solely bringing the trash down his driveway. Shortly after, his left ankle began to bother him just like his right. Ron was desperate to find a solution. He tried braces, anti-inflammatory medication and cortisone shots, but nothing worked.
Ron had been told by his first orthopedic doctor that ankle replacements were not an option, however, that all changed when he met Dr. Stephen Rogers of the Foot & Ankle Institute of New England. When Dr. Rogers first met Ron, he found that Ron’s ankles were completely deteriorated, rubbing bone on bone, and his bones had shifted so they were angular to each other rather than flat. After a complete examination, Dr. Rogers explained Ron’s treatment options and said that total ankle replacement was indeed an option for him. In March 2014, Ron had the INBONE® Total Ankle System placed in his right foot and then the left in February 2015. Now he is able to get back to normal life.
The opinions of Dr. Rogers and Ron Lagasse are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.
These results are specific to this individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level. There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.
Foot and ankle surgery specialist, Dr. Collin Ball, strives to bring the latest technology to his patients and community members living in the area of Laurel County, Kentucky. A groundbreaking procedure that he provides is the total ankle joint replacement, which is an alternative to joint fusion procedures. Dr. Ball explains that total ankle replacement is an option for those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis or loss of joint motion, which causes a patient severe pain and bone-on-bone rubbing. In the past, patients suffering with this pain were faced with three options: pain medication, wearing a brace full-time or ankle fusion. With the introduction of ankle replacements, patients can significantly reduce their discomfort without sacrificing joint mobility.
Somerset resident, Scott Quillen, is a patient of Dr. Ball’s whose ankle was injured after a motorcycle test drive, which resulted in a compound dislocation to his right ankle. Over the years, Quillen’s pain worsened, and he considered amputation before being referred to Dr. Ball for a consultation. Quillen now has full rotation back in his ankle.
The opinions of Dr. Ball and Scott Quillen are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.
Any results are specific to this particular individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level. There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.
Christine Smith, 60, had badly sprained her ankle about 30 years ago, and over the years saw an increase in weakness and pain. She had gotten to the point where just taking a step hurt. Smith leads a very active lifestyle working with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania nature program and as part of the Pennsylvania Wilderness Search and Rescue team where her specialty is visual man tracking. This work requires the ability to get up and down from the ground with ease—something that had grown very painful for her over the years. When Smith first sought out an orthopaedic specialist she was told that ankle fusion was her only option. That was until she met Dr. Benjamin Overley with the Coventry Foot and Ankle Surgery practice, a specialty recently formed by Pottstown Memorial Medical Center. Dr. Overley explained a more attractive option that would allow her to maintain more mobility-total ankle replacement.
In 2014 Dr. Overley implanted the INFINITY® Total Ankle System in Smith’s left ankle and she hasn’t looked back since. Smith recalls an easy recovery which culminated in her hiking the Appalachian Trail seven months after her procedure.
Dr. Overley said ideal patients are those suffering from post-traumatic arthritis with a history of sprains or fractures. Once recovered, patients can typically ride a bike, swim, walk recreationally and play golf (with a brace).
The opinions of Dr. Overly and Christine Smith are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.
Any results are specific to this particular individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level. There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.
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