美国西北大学发明新型踝关节置换手术

根据该领域的一位专家的说法：一种创新的踝关节置换手术使用简单的设备来保存功能以及减轻疼痛，比踝关节融合术疗效更好，

西北大学Feinberg医学院临床整型外科助理教授、Evanston西北医疗保健博士Steven Haddad医生解释说：“由于损伤或者退行性病变导致严重踝关节炎的患者之中，置换手术相对踝关节而言是一个巨大进步，产生巨大利益。”

Haddad医生是踝关节置换手术领域的领先者。“例如，踝关节融合术实际上通过联结组成关节的三块骨头（小腿的胫骨、腓骨与足部的距骨）来闭锁了踝关节。随着时间的推移，会导致关节僵硬以及活动受限，相临关节会患上关节炎。”

在近期的两项置换手术中，Haddad医生从踝关节的前面进入损伤关节，去除将踝关节固定在一起的螺丝钉和骨板，然后植入一种叫做Agility踝关节的设备。这就将踝关节的三块骨头联结在一起，创造出一种平滑导向的机制，将患者体重平均分配在这些骨头上。置换踝关节寿命大约为15年，这与髋关节和膝关节置换设备相似。

接受这项置换手术的Barbara Pulfiser说 ：“尽管我尽量把对我踝关节的压力降至最小，避免诸如慢跑之类的活动，但是我现在又能够享受自己的兴趣爱好以及积极的生活方式。”
 
New Ankle Replacement Surgery
 
By medinews.com staff writers
Posted on 06 April 2005 
 
Innovative ankle replacement surgery that uses simple devices to preserve motion and relieve pain is better than ankle fusion, according to an expert in the field.

“In patients with severe arthritis in their ankle(s) due to injury or degenerative conditions, replacement surgery is a dramatic improvement over traditional ankle fusion and offers important benefits,” explained Steven Haddad, M.D., of Evanston Northwestern Healthcare and assistant professor of clinical orthopedic surgery at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine (Chicago, IL, USA).

Dr. Haddad is a pioneer in the field of ankle replacement surgery. “For instance, ankle fusion actually locks the ankle by joining the three bones that make up the joint (the tibia and fibula in the lower leg and the talus in the foot),” said Dr. Haddad. “Over time, this causes stiffness and limited mobility, and adjacent joints may become arthritic.”

In a recent replacement surgery for two ankles, Dr. Haddad approached each injured ankle from the front of the joint, removed the screws and plates that held each ankle together, and embedded a device called the Agility ankle. This linked the three bones of the ankle joint and created a smooth-guiding mechanism that distributes a patient’s body weight equally among these bones. Replacement ankles have a longevity of about 15 years, which is similar to hip and knee replacement devices.

“Although I have to minimize repetitive stress on my ankles and I avoid activities like jogging, I’m free to enjoy my interests and active lifestyle once again,” said Barbara Pulfiser, who had the replacement surgery. “Amazingly, my scars are only a few inches long.”