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Baby Boomers not backing down from foot and ankle Arthritis
Newswise — They danced to the
Beatles, the
Rolling Stones and disco. They worked out
with Jane Fonda and made jogging their
national pastime.
Now approaching retirement,
many members of the "Me Generation" aren't
ready to slow down, even if their bodies
are. Foot and ankle surgeons say Baby
Boomers are more likely than previous
generations to seek care when arthritis
develops in their toes, feet and ankles.
"Unlike their parents, Baby
Boomers do not accept foot pain as a natural
part of aging," says John Giurini, DPM, a
Boston foot and ankle surgeon and president
of the American College of Foot and Ankle
Surgeons (ACFAS).
"When conservative treatments
fail, they want to know what other options
exist."
There are more than 100
different types of arthritis, including gout
and rheumatoid arthritis. The most common
forms to affect the feet are post-traumatic
and osteoarthritis, especially in the big
toe, ankle and midfoot joints.
"This generation has
witnessed an explosion of new medical
technology during its lifetime," says
Stephen Frania, DPM, a Cleveland foot and
ankle surgeon. "They have high expectations,
sometimes too high."
Surgeons say many Boomers who
seek treatment for arthritis assume they'll
be able to resume activities such as running
or playing sports. Seeking treatment early
can improve the odds of preventing
irreversible joint damage.
For many patients with
early-stage foot or ankle arthritis, changes
in shoes or advanced custom orthotics can
make a huge difference.
While there is no fountain of
youth for arthritis, surgeons say there are
more medical options available to Baby
Boomers than ever before.
Baby Boomers are most likely
to develop osteoarthritis in their big toe
joint. During walking, the big toe absorbs
forces equal to nearly twice a person's body
weight.
It plays an important role in
stooping and standing. Some boomers start to
develop big toe stiffness, a condition
called hallux limitus, in their forties.
Better surgical procedures
now offer improved pain relief and better
joint movement to Boomers with early stage
arthritis at the big toe.
Patients with advanced and
severe arthritis may need to have the joint
fused or replaced. But stronger screws and
hardware are helping fusions last longer
while slashing recovery times. A new
generation of big toe joint replacements
shows promise.
Ankles are another prime spot
for arthritis. Ankles are more likely to
develop post-traumatic arthritis than
osteoarthritis.
For many Baby Boomers, the
trauma was an ankle fracture or a bad sprain
that may have happened in their teens or
twenties.
Innovative new surgical
techniques allow foot and ankle surgeons to
transplant small plugs of cartilage from one
part of the ankle to another in some
patients, slowing joint deterioration.
Ankle replacements, however,
are not as durable as hip and knee
replacements. The ankle is a more
challenging joint to replace. It's smaller
and moves in multiple directions. But better
and promising ankle implants are hitting the
market.
"Surgery to repair arthritic
feet and ankles won't make you 16 years old
again," says Brad Wenstrup, DPM, a
Cincinnati foot and ankle surgeon.
"But Boomers can look forward
to more options than ever to relieve pain
and restore motion."
Go to http://FootPhysicians.com
for more information on foot and ankle
conditions such as osteoarthritis,
rheumatoid arthritis and hallux rigidus.
The American College of Foot
and Ankle Surgeons is a professional society
of more than 6,000 foot and ankle surgeons.
Founded in 1942, the
College’s mission is to promote research and
provide continuing education for the foot
and ankle surgical specialty, and to educate
the general public on foot health and
conditions of the foot and ankle through its
consumer Web site,
http://FootPhysicians.com.
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