system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: what makes ankle joints withstand age-related wear and tear, comparatively speaking?

Hip replacement surgeries are commonplace, especially due to age-related damage. But ankle joints don’t seem to suffer the same amount of damage / require replacing as much as either hips (or knees) do, despite being smaller and more delicate constructions. What in the construction of ankles makes them more resilient than other weight-bearing joints?
gpt
The magic of the ankle biomechanics is more-so in the synergy it has with the foot than simply the ankle itself. The ankle-foot complex (AFC) is an extremely intricate &  complex structure with a high concentration of bones and muscles, connected by very supportive and flexible Connective Tissue (Tendons, ligaments, fascia).

With the AFC being the first load-Bearing system of the body, we expect these Connective tissues to be far more responsive and adaptable to the stressors imposed from our body and the changing terrain. While the hips may have stronger ligaments than the ankle, the ankle has an uncanny ability to adapt to the changing environment because of the foots ability to evenly distribute the load evenly before sending the force upstream. 

Summing this up, the Ankles ability to alter its  compliance based on the terrain it’s interacting with may cause it be more resilient to the less compliant hip joint.