left ankle replacement

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Finally......talked my Kaiser surgeon into doing a STAR implant into my left ankle. Originally they wanted to do a fusion which would of taken away most of the movement (talk to Squirrel Hunter about that). The STAR implant has been approved for use in the US for just 4 years, although it has been done in Europe for many more years. STAR stands for Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement. It involves removing some bone from the Tibia and the Talus, inserting two titanium plates with medical grade polyethylene in between. In my case the Achilles tendon had to be lengthened. All told it was a three and a half hour procedure with a three day stay in the hospital. It has been over two weeks now and I'm off the pain meds. The staples were removed last Wednesday and the surgeon was quite happy with the results. I'm in a cast for the next four to six weeks with some physical therapy following.

This is just to let you know there are alternatives to fusion. This procedure is still new enough that there are very few surgeons qualified to perform it But if you ever need an ankle replaced, push for it. I think you will be satisfied with the result.

Bottom line, don't let a ST land on your ankle, be safe.

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Last edited:

Bigmak96

R.I.P. - 2021/08/07
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Ouch!! Hope it heals well.
My ST didn't fall on me but it threw me on the driveway and snapped all three Collar bone ligaments when I landed shoulder first.
 
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They did an excellent job in spacing out those staples.....looks just as sore as my knee replacement did. Hope you heal well :)
 

dduelin

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I hope you have many good years ahead with that ankle. My wife had a STAR done in 2002 or 03 to fix a bad spot on the talus due to loss of blood supply from a sports injury probably 30 years prior. She was a ortho patient at Mayo Jacksonville and the STAR was in experimental trails in the US so Mayo wouldn't do it but her Dr got her in a trial being done in Tampa. After a slight realignment of the upper part in the tibia maybe 2 or 3 years later it performed perfectly until this past year when she began having some pain in the ankle again. Last December a Dr at Mayo replaced the plastic wear insert in the STAR. It was a 15 minute outpatient procedure.....should be good for many more miles. Take the full recovery time even if it takes a year or two. Get well soon!
 
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My ST didn't fall on me but it threw me on the driveway and snapped all three Collar bone ligaments when I landed shoulder first.
So that's why you went to the Wing.............was wondering 'bout that................................ff
 

skidlid1300

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I hope you have many good years ahead with that ankle. My wife had a STAR done in 2002 or 03 to fix a bad spot on the talus due to loss of blood supply from a sports injury probably 30 years prior. She was a ortho patient at Mayo Jacksonville and the STAR was in experimental trails in the US so Mayo wouldn't do it but her Dr got her in a trial being done in Tampa. After a slight realignment of the upper part in the tibia maybe 2 or 3 years later it performed perfectly until this past year when she began having some pain in the ankle again. Last December a Dr at Mayo replaced the plastic wear insert in the STAR. It was a 15 minute outpatient procedure.....should be good for many more miles. Take the full recovery time even if it takes a year or two. Get well soon!
Thanks for the post, and I'll keep this in mind. I also need surgery to be done to my talus bone in the future, due to an old injury. I had arthroscopic surgery a few years ago, and the issue is coming back, slowly. They told me that they'll have to open up the ankle, a more drastic surgery, to get rid of dead talus bone in there.

right ankle x-ray.jpg
 

Mark

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Thanks for the advice on not letting the ST stand on your ankle!

Heal well!
Mark
 
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Glad to hear the surgery was a success! Heal completely and follow the doc's orders. Thanks for letting us folks know there is an alternative out there.
 

970mike

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Wow that looks like it still hurts. I hope you have a full recovery and get back to riding soon. And remember don't park the ST on your foot again!!
 

TMUS

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Broke my right talus in half back in Nov 07, four screws holding it together. Thinking it's time to do something, arthritis getting real bad now, was thinking fusion was the only option. Now if my talus can be used to mount the Star to would be great. Problem is it's a worker comp thing not sure if they will go for it. At my age I like to say the ankle is the only thing that's stiff when I wake up in the morning anymore. :)
 
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