What Is Rehabilitation Like After Ankle Joint Replacement?

Dr. Horton describes the rehabilitation process after a patient has an ankle joint replacement.

Dr. Horton:
Following ankle joint replacement, a post-op protocol is very important in maintaining the good healing in the body as well as the performance of the joint replacement. And we generally will immobilize the patients for the first three weeks in a well-padded dressing in a splint, followed by a temporary brace so that they can begin weight bearing at about three to four weeks and then also start physical therapy for range-of-motion exercises.

After that, they generally are weaned out of the brace into well-supportive footwear and for the next month they continue to work on strengthening exercises for balance, control, and agility, posture, and then by the end of the two months most people are walking very effectively, and during that third month they are just working on areas which make them more balanced, and by the end of the three months people are feeling very comfortable with their walking style.

About Dr. Horton, M.D.:
Dr. Eric R. Horton, M.D. is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in lower extremity conditions and ankle and foot reconstruction at Alvarado Orthopedic Medical Group. He has almost ten years of private practice experience in treating a wide range of adult, juvenile, and childhood orthopedic disorders including trauma, sports injuries, arthritis, leg deformities, and other musculoskeletal conditions of the body.

Visit Dr. Horton at the Alvarado Orthopedic Medical Group