No bones about it - ankle replacements on the rise

Jim Triplett had already had his right knee replaced, but thanks to a traffic crash in the 1970s, he still walked with a limp.

In the wreck, which happened on his way home from work, the clutch was forced into his left ankle, mangling it.

The injury never healed properly, and by age 73, Triplett couldn't play golf or bowl anymore.

When he got out of his car, he said, "I had to wait 'til my ankle said it was OK to walk."

Around Jan. 1, Triplett, an Ohio native, met surgeon Nathan Penney of Total Foot and Ankle of Tampa Bay, which has locations in Zephyrhills and Sun City Center.

Thanks to the knee replacement three years ago, some blood-pressure issues and having a pacemaker, Triplett said he was used to dealing with doctors.

"You know how there are some doctors you don't like as soon as you see them?" Triplett said. "Well, I liked him as soon as I saw him."

He also liked what Penney had to say.

A San Diego native, Penney had performed about six ankle-replacement surgeries during the past year, and he thought Triplett would be a good candidate.

"It's not as common as a total hip or knee replacement, but that's because people just don't know about it, and not that many surgeons are trained to do it," Penney said.

"We choose our patients carefully. We don't want to do a young person where (a replacement) might have to be redone a few times in their life," he said.

As with hip replacements, ankle replacements don't last forever. Penney said they typically are good for 10 to 15 years, but he said newer implants are more advanced.

There are several ankle implants on the market, but Penney said he uses a technology called INBONE, developed by Wright Technology, to replace the ankle joint.

"I use this one because it's a more robust implant that has the best possibility of having the best longevity, and it's very reproducible," Penney said.

"With this, I get to use X-rays to make sure it's perfectly aligned. I know it's in there perfect, unlike the other implants, where you have to kind of freehand it," he said.

Triplett, who retired after 28 years at a Ford factory in Cleveland, had the operation on Feb. 1 in Zephyrhills.

He currently works as a security guard at Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club.

Ten days after the surgery, he was back at work.

"I was under for a little over two hours and in the hospital for three days," he said. "I had a soft cast for a while, then a boot, then back to my shoes. They couldn't believe I came back to work so quick, but I only took four pain pills the whole time.

"I still have a little pain when the weather changes."

Triplett said Medicare paid for the procedure, and the only bill he received was a $7 charge from the anesthesiologist.

Last week, he felt good enough to travel to Ohio for a wedding, and he even has gone back to the driving range.

While ankle replacement surgeries are not performed routinely, Penney said he believes they will become more common.

"With improvements in the design, the prevalence of them will increase greatly over the next several years," he said.