Arthritis Foundation Joins Forces With American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society to Fuel Ankle OA Research

Affecting over 30 million Americans, osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. But despite its prevalence, there are little treatment options to provide relief for the pain and challenges patients experience daily — especially for the millions with foot and ankle osteoarthritis (OA).

The Arthritis Foundation is pleased to announce its new partnership with the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS). Announced at the AOFAS annual conference on September 14, the Ankle Arthritis Think Tank involves a $600,000 research partnership that will establish several merit-based grants over a two-year period.

According to Jason Kim, Vice President of Osteoarthritis Research for the Arthritis Foundation, patients who have been passionate about sharing their experiences with foot and ankle OA served as the catalyst for pursuing this partnership with AOFAS — including those who participated in a workshop co-hosted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in June 2021.

“Patients with foot and ankle arthritis are arguably more disabled with fewer acceptable treatment options compared to other joints. This need is why this partnership is so critical,” said Kim. “We’re hopeful that this work can fuel cutting-edge research that can positively impact the millions of patients and their families.”

Ankle OA, which is just as prevalent as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), is often caused by traumatic joint injury like an ankle fracture or sprain. Ankle OA often occurs in younger patients, so those patients live with it longer. Unlike RA and other forms of arthritis, OA does not have any effective drugs to prevent or slow disease progression and joint damage.

The Arthritis Foundation and AOFAS thank Paragon 28 for their support of the Ankle Arthritis Think Tank and our work in 2023.