What leads up to an ankle fusion?
When bleeding occurs over and over in the ankle, synovitis occurs. Synovitis means that the synovial membrane which lines the joint becomes thick and grows more blood vessels. With more vessels, come more and larger bleeding episodes. More and larger bleeding leads to arthritis. Sadly the cells which digest blood in the ankle (during a bleeding episode) also destroy the cartilage. When the cartilage is gone, the bones rub together and begin to erode. Many times cysts will form on the end of the leg bone, and the bone will begin to split. The signs and symptoms of arthritis are much the same as a bleed. The ankle will have almost constant pain and an aching feeling. It will feel stiff and loose flexibility almost feeling frozen in place. When the ankle has this much damage, an ankle fusion becomes necessary.
