UFAI Toe Conditions Articles Archive

The hard and rigid parts of the human structure seem to get all the attention. Like skulls, rib cages, and spinal columns. But don’t get distracted by them because ligaments are the unsung heroes of our skeletal framework. Ligaments are strong resilient bands made from a very tough material called collagen. Ligaments attach bones to bones (as differentiated from tendons, read more »

It’s December and we’re heading into winter. Daylight seems to slip away and nights become longer. The weather is cooling (even in California) and we see the change of seasons. Leaves fall from the trees, clothing stores trot out more sweaters, jackets and boots, and holiday lights crop up around the neighborhood. It’s a season marked with change. Your body read more »

Whether you call it your little toe, wee toe, baby toe, small toe, fifth toe, or pinky toe, that outermost pedal digit can cause outsized problems. The big toe, baby toe and heel stabilize the base of your foot Your foot forms a functional triangle. When you’re standing or walking, your heel supports most of your body weight, with the read more »

Your big toe is more than just a device to locate bedposts and chair legs in the dark. The big toe is the only toe significant enough to get its own medical name. It’s dignified with the appellation “hallux”. The other four little piggies have to be satisfied with mere numbers. Whenever you are upright, there are crucial moments when read more »

When compared to the claws of a tiger, the hooves of a horse or the talons of an eagle, our toenails are quite pathetic. A human’s toenails are made from the same substance (keratin) as claws, hooves and talons, but evolution has drastically reduced the utility of our keratin amenities. Our modern toenails can sometimes be more trouble than they’re 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 »

There is a very old story about a man named Androcles who was walking in a forest when he hears a loud roar. Androcles tries to run away but he trips on a tree root, injures his leg, and is unable to escape. A lion appears from behind the trees. However, the man notices that the lion is whimpering and read more »

Want a pedicure? There’re so many salons, how do you choose the right one… or a safe one? If you are using Yelp or other consumer review sites to determine where to go, the selection can be overwhelming.  Just in the Los Angeles area alone, there are over 6,000 salons listed! As podiatrists, we see the aftermath of when pedicures read more »

Here’s how a woman got burns and blisters on her foot after trying a home remedy. When it comes to home remedies for athlete’s foot, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing A 45-year-old English woman suffering with a stubborn case of athlete’s foot read somewhere that garlic can help eliminate fungal infections. So, naturally enough, for the next read more »

Toenails!!!…huh…yeah. What are they good for? Absolutely nothing!!! (Apologies to Edwin Starr, the Temptations, and Bruce Springsteen). But it’s true, we don’t do much with our toenails. Our fingernails are still essential. Itches demand scratching. Our fingernails enable us to pick up small objects, and folks with a creative bent can paint them up like 10 tiny blank canvases on read more »