Had fusion and now arthritis is in a different part of ankle have nerve damage in big toe and side ankle inner . My knees are bad also my back but will never go under the knife again unless they can guarantee I will be out of pain. Lost my livelihood,job,house and ability to do much. Joint replacement is not for me .

I've had a full wrist

Thank you for your reply - it's not easy to find others who have had the same treatment as me! I had a complicated break/dislocation/bone shattered 4 years ago and the arthritis set in after around 7 months. The doctors don't think the arthritis is the only source of pain but their theory is "if it hurts to move the ankle then we'll fuse it so you can't move and it *shouldn't* hurt". My worry, as you say, is that if you fuse joints that bare weight then the other joints that take on the extra strain (such as toe/foot joints and knees and hips) will be affected.