I am 43 years old and have recently been diagnosed with osteo arthritis in my great left toe joint. My doctor has taken x-ray and it revealed my joint is damaged. He has three recommendations, first op to remove spikes/arthritic material. If successful it may grow back with in 5 years. The second ops was, to surgically remove the bone then put metallic cup over the bone so that I can gain mobility. If it fails, the 3rd op would be to fuse the joint therefore curing the pain period would be one month with exercise
I am so sorry you have to go through this. I have a question for you: did you go and see another opinion?
What concerns me is: ex-rays usually are very weak dx point and only based on exray your DR makes such decision? I am sorry, I am not playing a dR here but I had ortho surgeries myself, went through hundreds and hundreds of tests and many-many opinions before I made my decision to have ortho surgery.
I don't like the way it sounds: if it sucess it will come back in 5 years... what kind sucess is it? Don't forget: doesn't matter what kind ortho surgery you have from mild to major - arthrities always sets up in that area!!!!
Is it possible to go for you and see someone at Hospital for Special Surgeries in NYC for second opinion? Maybe something else is there to help you?
The thing is: recovery after ortho surgeries are very painful and long. Bones hurt like nothing else. I had many surgeries on my soft tissues (like hysterectomy) and than spinal fusions... I would take hysterectomy any time if I had to, but not any orhto ...
You need to skip over to the foot problem board. You have hallux limitus or rigidus, depending on what stage you currently are. The surgery for this is called a cheilectomy. It may or may not also include an osteotomy of some kind - there are several. You can do a search there and find lots of information.
Also, I always suggest that if someone is in a city with a pro football or basketball team that they contact the team's front office and ask who they use for "turf toe." That's the common name for the initial injury that causes this condition. Go see that person.
Good luck and hope to see you over on the Foot Problems topic.
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