UFAI Ankle Conditions Articles Archive

Satisfactory treatment has long been available for early-stage ankle arthritis. And effective procedures, including ankle fusion and total ankle replacement, are available for end-stage ankle arthritis. But one of the last great barriers in the treatment of ankle arthritis has been how to handle moderate ankle arthritis. Until recently, some of the greatest podiatric challenges were moderate ankle arthritis cases. read more »

Many troublesome foot and ankle conditions occur in children just as they do in adults. But the bones of growing children haven’t themselves finished growing, so some children’s foot problems require extra attention. What is a child’s growth plate? Sites of active bone growth in children are called growth plates. They exist near the ends of bones in pre-adolescent children. read more »

“Hey, it’s just a sprain. No big deal. Walk it off. You’ll be fine.” This all too common advice is followed all too often. The all too usual result? A lifetime of debilitating ankle pain and instability. A fully functional ankle is an essential requirement for any sort of life that isn’t completely sedentary. But ankle sprains do happen. And read more »

Your ankle is an amazing example of anatomical ingenuity. It performs as a three-dimensional hinge. It twists and bends in multiple directions, often simultaneously. In addition to being flexible, your ankle has to be both strong and stable. It bears 150% of your weight when you walk. That load goes up to 800% of your weight when you run. And read more »

It seems to be that time of year when people are becoming more active and working hard to get in shape for the summer season. We have seen a recent increase in stress and overuse injuries over the last month or so, likely attributed to this increase in exercise and activity. While we applaud the motivation to live a healthy read more »

If your lifestyle is even a little bit active, it’s almost certainly going to happen. You will sprain your ankle. You’ll do it in a physically demanding sport, like soccer or baseball, which requires abrupt applications of powerful force through your lower legs and feet. Or you will do it during a casual stroll over an uneven surface. Or you’ll read more »

What’s an Os Trigonum? An os trigonum is a non-utilitarian piece of bone that usually rests peacefully at the back of some peoples’ feet. Ordinarily, an os trigonum is a harmless anomaly. However, if you punt a football, kick a soccer ball, swim using a butterfly kick, or go en pointe as a ballet dancer, that little hunk of bone read more »

It’s sad but true, you can’t rush your recovery after having ankle surgery Ankle surgery recovery isn’t a walk in the park (pun intended), but getting back into your regular workout routine doesn’t have to be like a grueling marathon either. It’s a big change to your lifestyle when you’re recovering from a broken ankle, but the time you invest read more »

No doubt about it, end-stage ankle arthritis sounds scary. But the reality is even worse than it sounds. When the protective cartilage that cushions the ankle joint is lost, bone grinds on bone. The results? Debilitating pain, major disruption of ordinary activities, and a steep decline in ones quality of life. 50,000 new cases of ankle arthritis occur every year, read more »

Originally published in Podiatry Today May 2018. An osteochondral lesion of the talus is often a difficult problem to treat. There is limited understanding of cartilage damage and its repair. Furthermore, it is hard to figure out why some osteochondral lesions, small or large, are painful and some are not painful. Finally, the treatment of such lesions is comprehensive but not read more »