Ankle Osteoarthritis: Treatments Before Surgery

Quick answer

Osteoarthritis of the ankle (tibiotalar joint), often post-traumatic, can be particularly disabling when walking. Before considering surgery (arthrodesis, ankle replacement), embolization of the synovial arteries of the ankle is a minimally invasive option for chronic inflammatory pain.

An osteoarthritis that is often more painful than in the knee

Tibiotalar (ankle) osteoarthritis is often post-traumatic and can be particularly disabling in daily life, especially when walking.

Before considering arthrodesis or replacement

When conservative treatments (injections, physiotherapy, orthoses) are no longer sufficient, embolization of the synovial arteries of the ankle can be offered as an alternative or complement to surgery, in patients with synovial hypervascularisation confirmed on imaging.

Preliminary work-up

A Doppler ultrasound and an MRI of the ankle confirm the synovial neovascularisation targeted by the treatment and rule out other causes of pain.

Frequently asked questions

Is this technique suitable for all ankle osteoarthritis?

It is specifically intended for chronic inflammatory pain with synovial hypervascularisation identified on imaging, when standard medical treatments have failed.

Can embolization and injection be combined?

Yes, a guided injection can be performed in addition to embolization depending on the case.

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Inflammatory ankle centre at Cochin AP-HP

Joint embolization, Doppler ultrasound and MRI work-up, alternative to surgery.

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Why this page is trustworthy

Written by the Interventional Radiology team at Cochin Hospital AP-HP, Université Paris Cité. Medically reviewed by an interventional radiologist of the department. Last updated: August 2026.

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Ankle osteoarthritis: treatments before surgery