I've developed arthritis in both ankles over the last few years, I've seen a consultant and had a minor op (arthroscopic debridement) to relieve some of the pain but it's not something that will go away. The surgeon's advice was that I can, and should, continue hiking but I should look for boots with a lot of support.
I currently have pretty good boots, they're normal hiking boots that have served me well in the UK and the Alps for multi-day hut to hut treks, they certainly offer more support than regular footware, but there's still quite a bit of ankle flex. Sadly, as the arthritis has progressed they don't really offer enough support on bigger ascents or descents. I was wondering about switching to a B2 boot, e.g. Scarpa Ribelle Lite, as they seem to go slightly higher up the leg and are obvioulsy designed to offer more support. Specicifcally I'm looking to limit the forward / backward flex, which ironically many boots try to improve to make the boots more comforatable
I'm slightly wary as I'd be using them year round so they'd be very warm for summer use, but if they support my ankle better it would be worth it to me if I can spend more time in the mountains.
Has anyone else with dodgy ankles gone this route? If so, did it help?