Summary

Ankle osteoarthritis (OA) is common among young and active people. The majority of the affected population are physiologically young and used to be in sports activities, which makes their expectations of the treatment higher than the hip and knee OA population. Non-surgical interventions sometimes can be a short-term solution, but surgical procedures such as Total Ankle Arthroplasty (TAA) are considered in end-stage OA.

Until recently, sports and exercise restriction has been widely recommended by surgeons for patients with ankle OA, to avoid increasing pain or further joint damage. The published studies showed that sports activities can be used as a treatment or at least as an adjunct in the management plan.

Patients with TAA are classically advised to avoid sports participation for fear of implant failure. However, surprisingly some articles reported a good influence of sports activity on the functional TAA outcome. Up to date, guidelines and recommendations for intensity and types of sports to be practiced by TAA patients are scanty. In this article, sports activities in relation to Ankle OA and TAA will be comprehensively discussed.

Summary

Upper ankle osteoarthritis (ankle joint) is common in young and active people. The majority of the affected population is physiologically young and has been physically active, which is why their expectations of treatment are higher than those of the hip and knee osteoarthritis population. Non-surgical interventions can sometimes be a short-term solution, but surgical interventions such as the full ankle denture are considered for end-stage ankle osteoarthritis.

Until recently, surgeons recommended exercise and mobility restrictions for patients with ankle joint osteoarthritis in order to avoid increasing pain or further joint damage. The published studies show that sporting activities can be used as a treatment or at least as a supplement to the management plan.

Patients with a total ankle prosthesis are traditionally advised to avoid participating in sports for fear of implant failure. Surprisingly, some articles reported that physical activity had a positive effect on the functional outcome of total ankle prostheses. Up-to-date guidelines and recommendations for intensity and types of sport to be practiced by ankle prosthesis patients are poor. Sports activities related to ankle joint osteoarthritis and prosthesis are discussed in detail in this article.