Ankle Anatomy | Arthritis Foundation (2024)

FAQs

What is Grade 4 osteoarthritis of the ankle? ›

Stages of cartilage wear in arthritis of the ankle

Grade 1: Chondromalacia, disorders of the cartilage structure. Grade 2: Moderate disorder of the connective tissue in the cartilage. Grade 3: Lacerations in the cartilage surface, roughening. Grade 4: Bones are no longer covered in cartilage.

Excess weight, which puts added pressure on the ankles and other weight-bearing joints — four pounds of pressure for each extra pound of weight — and repeated high-impact stress also play a part. Ankle cartilage is half the thickness of knee cartilage, leading to more force on the ankle joint.

The talus is wider anteriorly and more narrow posteriorly. It forms a wedge that fits between the medial and lateral malleoli making dorsiflexion the most stable position for the ankle.

Sitting in a chair, rest your affected ankle on your opposite knee. Hold just above the ankle joint with one hand, and hold the ball of your foot with the other. Gently rotate your ankle clockwise for several seconds, then reverse and rotate it counterclockwise for several seconds.

Patients in stage 4 have a difficult time walking and using stairs because they are battling persistent inflammation and a lack of synovial fluid and cartilage to cushion the joint. At the first signs of knee pain and discomfort, do not hesitate to consult with one of our talented, fellowship trained knee specialists.

Walking is often recommended for people with arthritis because it's a low-impact exercise that keeps the joints flexible, helps bone health, and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Want to put your best foot forward?

End-stage ankle arthritis is a debilitating condition that leads to pain and swelling in the ankle joint, with symptoms aggravated by standing and ambulation. Ankle arthritis commonly results from a history of trauma, or a series of recurrent injuries to the ankle.

If pain, stiffness, and swelling caused by ankle arthritis do not respond to medical treatment, orthopedic surgeons at NYU Langone may recommend surgery to clean out the arthritic joint, fuse and stabilize a painful joint, or replace the arthritic joint with a prosthetic one.

While in the past pain-relieving ankle fusions were the gold standard for care, new surgical techniques, including arthroscopic ankle surgery, total ankle joint replacements and bone or cartilage replacement, are offering hope for those who want to remain active.

Is Stage 4 osteoarthritis serious? ›

Stage 4 OA is considered severe. People in stage 4 OA of the knee experience great pain and discomfort when they walk or move the joint. That's because the joint space between bones is dramatically reduced. The cartilage is almost completely gone, leaving the joint stiff and possibly immobile.

Yes, osteoarthritis is considered a disability according to the SSA. In order to qualify, you will need to demonstrate that your osteoarthritis prevents you from being able to work and that you meet other eligibility requirements set out by the SSA.

Stage 4: Severe

Signs and symptoms: Advanced joint degeneration with significant joint space narrowing, extensive cartilage loss, and bone-on-bone contact. Pain, stiffness, and swelling are severe and constant, limiting mobility and impairing quality of life.

Experts confirm that once OA starts, it may take years to reach a severe stage. However, in extreme cases, OA progresses rapidly to complete the destruction of the cartilage within a few months. Some of the factors that determine the rate of OA progression include: The severity of your symptoms at the time of diagnosis.