Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus: that's the prognosis with my ankle. In order to fix this not-so-small problem they're recommending an Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation which is your basic fancy speak for removing part of a cadaver's ankle and replacing it in my own. Of course, where they need to put this is hard to get to, so they are going to have to cut the bone away from the ankle, prep the repair site, and then install the bits and pieces. Then after this they will replace the piece of bone and reattach it to the leg with a nice big titanium screw. This is pretty gruesome stuff, but you can see some pictures here, here, and here, if you're interested in how it will all look (warning: not for the squeamish).The much more pleasing graphical representation, shown here, demonstrates the problem with the ankle in a less gooey manner.
So, the military doctor here in Japan is referring me to a specialist in Hawaii, which was very reassuring that they would make such a recommendation. Only problem is that as long as I'm on foreign soil I'm treated with all the benefits and courtesy of a military member in uniform... but the second my toes touch American Soil I'm outta luck... which means that I can't get it done at a military hospital. I guess they are going to refer me to a specialist in the states and I will get the surgery done some time next year. When, where, etc., I don't know; but I'll keep you posted.
:j
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