Footnotes, The Foot & Ankle Blog - Page 31 of 32

Platelet Rich Plasma for Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Pain Treatment Plantar fasciitis is a very common condition of the heel. It is the most common diagnosed cause of heel pain. It will affect about 1 million people each year. Los Angeles Foot Surgeons have been using platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) therapy as a means of heel pain treatment for chronic plantar fasciitis for the last 3 read more »

Big Toe Pain: Sesamoid Pathology The sesamoids are two small round or oval bones situated in the thick soft tissue ligamentous plantar plate under the first metatarsaophalangeal (big toe) joint and provide attachments for multiple important ligaments and muscle-tendinous units that provide critical stability, strength, and function to the big toe during ambulation and propulsion. They fully ossify by the read more »

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 »