Footnotes, The Foot & Ankle Blog - Page 30 of 31

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy For Plantar Fasciitis and Achilles Tendonitis Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy or ESWT, was initially used in the treatment of urinary, kidney, and salivary stones.  ESWT has been used since the late 1980s for the treatment of various musculoskeletal disorders, including: plantar fasciosis/ plantar fasciitis Achilles tendinosis/ Achilles tendonitis sesamoiditis stress fractures fresh fractures of bones delayed read more »

Radio Frequency Topaz Microdebrider for Chronic Heel Pain Heel pain is a common presenting complaint causing patients to seek a foot and ankle surgeon or doctor.  One of the most common etiologies of heel pain is mechanical or repetitive overuse injury causing inflammation of the plantar fascia, termed Plantar Fasciitis. Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis Pain and stiffness in heel (can be read more »

What is a Bunion? Bunions come in all shapes and sizes.  They are largely genetic resulting from a looseness of the great to and midfoot joints resulting in a shift of the bone and bunion formation.  Although genetics are the primary cause, shoes and other factors can accelerate and worsen bunion problems. Conservative management: Well-fitting, supportive shoes Custom functional orthotics, read more »

Achilles Tendon Problems? Treatment Options are Available! The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the human body.  It is crucial in transmitting forces responsible for walking, running and various other activities.  An injury or tear within the Achilles tendon can cause substantial pain and limitation due to its importance in these daily activities. Anatomy: The Achilles tendon read more »

Advancement in Achilles Tendon Tear and Achilles Rupture Care The Achilles tendon is the strongest tendon in the body but it is also the one that is most commonly injured.  In this article we discuss the anatomy of the Achilles tendon as well as give an overview on Achilles tendon ruptures. Achilles Tendon Anatomy The Achilles tendon is approximately 15 read more »

The STAR and Inbone Total Ankle Replacements:  Which is best for Ankle Arthritis Cases With the advent of new technology and an improved biomechanic understanding of ankle function, the treatment of ankle arthritis has broadly changed in the past decade.  Ankle replacement is rapidly becoming a comparable option to ankle fusion in the treatment of ankle arthritis. The new generation read more »

Lisfranc Mid Foot Fracture Dislocation There are many different types of fractures that can occur in the foot.  Most foot fractures are cause by an external force acting on the foot that will fracture or break the bone. There are a group of joints in the middle of the foot that are situated behind the long bones (metatarsals) of the foot. read more »

Hallux Limitus & Hallux Rigidus: Arthritis of the Great Toe Joint There has been a great deal of advancement in the treatment of great or big toe arthritis also known as hallux limitus or hallux ridigus.  The terms commonly used are referring to the latin for limited to no motion which is the main complaint that patients will have when read more »

In 1876, Morton described a painful condition of a nerve between the fourth and fifth metatarsal bones in the foot.  Mortons Neuroma is not a true neuroma as the name implies, and terminology such as neuritis or neuralgia may be more accurate.  Neuroma’s more commonly occur in the fourth plantar interdigital nerve (3rd interspace) where this nerve tends to be read more »

Bunion Surgery Advice from the California Podiatrists at University Foot and Ankle Institute Bunion surgery, also known as hallux valgus surgery is one of the most common presenting foot and ankle problems.  It is so common that almost every foot and ankle surgeon, both orthopedic and podiatric, perform bunion surgery on a routine basis.  As with every other field, there read more »