Osteoarthritis is the most common musculoskeletal pathology with 15% of the world’s population suffering from its effects (Hubbert et al, 2018). It is particularly debilitating when it affects a weight-bearing joint such as the hip, knee or ankle. Osteoarthritis of the hip and knee is very common but osteoarthritis of the ankle is much less, with only 1% of the population suffering from it (Nakamura et al, 2016).
The ankle is a complex region consisting of 3 separate joints which are responsible for producing movement:
- The talocrural joint is formed by the articulation of the tibia, fibula and talus bones and is responsible for dorsiflexion (pulling your foot up) and plantarflexion (pointing your foot down).
- The inferior tibiofibular joint is formed by the articulation of the tibia and the fibula bones and is responsible for stabilising the lower shin and the ankle.
- The subtalar joint is formed by the articulation of the talus and the calcaneus bones and is responsible for inversion (turning your ankle in) and eversion (turning your ankle out).