Osteolysis and bone pain, one for the Pro's

[Rikk]

This is one of those questions that I should of asked of the consultant but only just occurred to me while my brain was off with the faeries

I had my ankle replaced a few years back due to arthritis, it wasn't fused as I'm a below knee amputee on the other side and relatively young at 46(at the time)

At the last visit after a CT scan I was told that there are osteolysis developing which I know are to be expected, it was said that as these develop the pain will get worse then it will need to be fused.

So to the question, I know when you break a bone the pain comes from damage to the periosteum, but in the case of Osteolysis why would it actually hurt as the bones themselves have no pain receptors?

Thanks

[The_Doc]

Bone has pain receptors but there is no easy answer to your question. As the components work their way loose over the years and cause associated osteolysis you may have lots of pain or very little.

I see loose components in people wit h no pain and loose components with people in agony.

The trick with a failing total ankle is to intervene, fish out the metal and do a fusion before all the talus melts away. But your consultant will know this. Otherwise it's a bone block hind foot fusion instead of a tibio-talar.

HTH