New Non-Surgical Treatment for Ball of Foot Pain at UFAI

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 the sole of the foot. 

Some medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes are associated with bone and joint deformities that can result in soft tissue breakdown. Since these conditions are characterized by compromised blood flow, they can lead to poorly healing chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers that may require continuous follow-up with a wound care specialist for debridement or the application of special wound dressings. In extreme cases, some non-healing open wounds might require hyperbaric treatment with concentrated oxygen to stimulate the healing process. 

Even when they’re not associated with a medical condition, pressure sores on the soles of the foot can make walking or standing uncomfortable to the point that performing daily activities is painful and challenging. Folks contact our office when their quality of life is so significantly affected that it prompts them to seek professional treatment for foot pain relief.

Until recently, treatment options in a podiatrist’s tool kit were limited to either offering a shoe insert for cushioning or offloading the weight from the pressure point or performing surgery to correct the bone mal-alignment causing the problem. These solutions were usually temporary and, in the case of surgery, involved a long healing time with no guarantee of complete resolution of the problem. 

Because foot pain caused by pressure lesions affects so many people, the doctors at UFAI have closely followed new research developments in this area. We have sought to offer effective long-lasting foot care solutions to improve our patients’ quality of life. 

Frank discusses how the Leneva^TM procedure successfully treated his diabetic foot wound.

Introducing Leneva^TM a long-lasting fat grafting treatment for pressure sores 

We at UFAI are proud to be one of the first practices in Southern California to offer Leneva^TM, a brand-new fat grafting system introduced in the United States in November 2019. This all-natural injectable product consists of sterilized human fat tissue (called adipose tissue) that’s placed within a cellular matrix.

When inserted under a pressure point, Leneva^TM not only cushions the area but also provides a scaffolding which your body can use to populate with new fat cells. This combination of grafted fat plus your own new fat cells creates a stable cushion that can provide comfort over many months to years. 

What happens during a Leneva^TM treatment?

Leneva^TM is an injectable product that’s administered in our office. After your doctor has placed a small amount of local anesthesia in the skin to numb the treatment area, the Leneva^TM fat matrix is injected just below the skin to add internal fat cushioning at your pressure point. This human fat and cellular scaffolding complex remain exactly where it has been placed and, over time, your body further fills in the scaffolding with your own fat cells. 

After the Leneva^TM is applied to your foot, you are able to go home and follow your doctor’s post-treatment instructions as you go about your daily life with very little downtime or discomfort. 

How is Leneva^TM different from other treatments for fat pad atrophy?

What’s so revolutionary about Leneva^TM is that the product organizes itself to fill in the fat deficient area, decreasing the likelihood of product displacement so that the material remains in the area where your doctor placed it. This not only provides the area with an instant fat cushion, taking the pressure off the area right away but also inserts a scaffolding that provides a space for your body to re-populate the scaffolding with new fat cells over time.

In fact, during clinical trials in which the product was used to treat pressure ulcers, researchers measured decreases in peak pressure on the wound sites, resulting in decreased callus formation.  Other studies showed that Leneva^TM encouraged the formation of new blood vessels (vital for wound healing) and new fat cells (important for added cushioning).   By creating a much longer-lasting natural cushion, Leneva^TM has the potential of reducing pressure and friction, and therefore, pain. This can greatly improve the quality of life of patients suffering from foot pain. 

Who invented Leneva^TM 

Leneva^TM was developed and brought to market by MTF Biologics, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation. The human fat tissue contained in Leneva^TM is carefully sterilized and processed to be perfectly safe for implantation. 

This remarkable, safe in-office procedure is now available at University Foot and Ankle Institute locations and offers a revolutionary option for patients with pain in the ball of their foot.