Ankle arthritis affects approximately 1% of the adult population worldwide and represents a serious global disease burden. However, compared with hip arthritis and knee arthritis, the clinical understanding and treatment of ankle arthritis are still in their infancy. For end-stage ankle arthritis, ankle arthrodesis was considered as the “gold standard” in the past. However, ankle arthrodesis will result in loss of joint mobility, altered gait, limited daily activities, and accelerated degeneration of adjacent joints. Therefore, how to preserve the range of motion of the ankle joint while relieving pain is the key to the treatment of ankle arthritis. Currently, the surgical treatment of ankle arthritis includes arthroscopic debridement, periarticular osteotomies, osteochondral transplantation, ankle distraction arthroplasty, ankle arthrodesis, and total ankle arthroplasty. The choice of treatment should be individualized and based on various factors such as the patient’s symptoms, signs, imaging performance, complaints, and financial situation. However, there are no guidelines that give clear treatment recommendations. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct extensive and in-depth discussions on the diagnosis and treatment of ankle arthritis.