UFAI Medical Technologies Articles Archive

Ball of Foot Pain is No Joke One of the most frequent complaints we hear from new patients is painful pressure points located on the weight-bearing surface at the ball of their forefoot. These pressure lesions can be caused by one or more of the following conditions: an abnormally positioned bone, toe deformities, or thinning of the fat pad cushioning read more »

University Foot and Ankle Institute (UFAI) has teamed with CrossRoads Extremity Systems, an innovation leader in the field of podiatric technology in the creation of CrossRoads’ revolutionary bunion surgery system, known as miniBunion™️. University Foot and Ankle Institute, the leader in Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery, announces great success with miniBunion™️ surgery UFAI will now utilize miniBunion™️ for the many minimally invasive read more »

The following article appeared in Podiatry Today and was authored by University Foot and Ankle’s Dr. Bob Baravarian. Plantar fasciitis is at epidemic levels with suggestions that one in six Americans may have the condition. Patients often attempt to treat plantar fasciitis at home prior to seeing a doctor. In my experience, the majority of patients treat their heel pain read more »

Surgical correction of foot problems, like hammertoes and bunions, often requires using internal fixation devices like screws, pins, wires, rods, and rigid plates. Until recently, this hardware was made of metal alloys or stainless steel. In recent years, however, titanium became most surgeons’ metal of choice due to its high strength, versatility, and ability to resist corrosion. Are there side read more »

You’ve had a great night’s sleep, filled with dreams in which you were 20 years younger, 20 pounds lighter, and had just won the lottery. Contemplating all the wonderful opportunities the new day will bring, you swing your legs out of bed and take your first step. Suddenly you’re back on the bed, felled by a shocking burst of stabbing read more »

What is chronic plantar fasciitis and how is it treated? The plantar fascia is the amazingly strong thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes. It supports the arch and helps keep your foot from curling into a ball. Chronic plantar fasciitis is defined as plantar fascia pain experienced for at least 3-6 months without resolution. read more »

The Cartiva implant was considered to be a revolution in great toe arthritis therapy. It came out with a splash and the original studies to get the implant through FDA approval showed incredible results. Our group, University Foot and Ankle Institute, and me in particular, were involved with helping launch the product and educating surgeons on how to use the read more »

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common orthopedic ailments in the United States. The number of patients known to have the problem is estimated to be between six and seven million. Many patients attempt to treat the problem at home prior to seeking treatment from a doctor which is fine unless the problem has been present for an extended 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 »