Will it impinge on range of motion much? My wrist is looking like it will need surgery on it in the next 10 years due to the same issues with arthritis and floating spurs but my hand surgeon said I won't be able to bend my wrist really at all and that freaks me out. I know the wrist and the ankle are pretty much the same set of bones.
The original damage I did was destroying all of the ligaments on the outside of my ankle. I have a piece of my achilles tendon there to replace them. The doc can't just clean up the spurs & osteophytes (the common, simple fix method) because the arthritis is severe enough that they are pretty much what is holding the ankle in position, even as they restrict its movement. The tendon replacement trick has lasted for 45 years but is weakening.
My second option was an ankle fusion. That basically freezes your ankle in a flexed position for the rest of your life. No thank you.
The replacement joint they are using on me is a fairly new design (10 years or so, I think he said). It is designed in two parts that are held together, with a silicon "donut" between them acting like the cartilage cushion. I should have nearly normal range of motion, side to side & flex/extend after it heals. I still may have some issues with sudden side stops (like when you jump to the side while playing table tennis, for example), but that is as much a function of the original injury as it is of the new joint.
If you don't like what your orthopedist has suggested, I strongly recommend you get a second opinion, even if it means going to another city. I have found that it's not uncommon for doctors in the same practice to stick to similar procedures for their patients.
FWIW...Fredericks here in Ames is pretty good, & well-respected.