Foot and Ankle Blog - Page 5 of 9

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 »

What causes stinky feet? Find out about the opportunistic bacteria that can invade your feet and start killing cells -- and what you can do about it!

Many troublesome foot and ankle conditions occur in children just as they do in adults. But the bones of growing children haven’t themselves finished growing, so some children’s foot problems require extra attention. What is a child’s growth plate? Sites of active bone growth in children are called growth plates. They exist near the ends of bones in pre-adolescent children. read more »

Drop foot (aka foot drop), can be a scary occurrence. Both terms describe an inability to lift the front of your foot while walking. The results of drop foot include scuffing the forefoot along the ground, and tripping over simple obstacles, like the edge of a rug. In order to compensate for foot dragging, people with drop foot tend to read more »

The ankle is an amazing example of anatomical ingenuity, until it starts hurting. Inside ankle pain indicates several possible problems. Here are a few examples.

Can surgically implanted metal Screws and pins become a thing of the past? Yes, thanks to a new invention that is being used at UFAI today.

If you want to locate the ball of your foot, lift up your heel while you’re barefoot. The part of the foot that’s in most direct contact with the ground is the ball of your foot. When your heel is elevated, the ball of your foot bears all your weight. If any of your regular activities include running, jumping, dancing, 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 »

Catching diabetic foot complications early will allow for proper intervention and prevention of ulcerations, infections, and limb loss. That is why routine exams with a foot and ankle specialist are so critical. At the first sign of diabetic foot pain, ulcers or other diabetic foot issues, get it checked out and do not wait for your next checkup. Otherwise, our 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 »

Like most parts of a newborn’s body, your infant’s feet are undeveloped at her time of birth. As she grows and learns to walk, the soft, pliable tissue that structures her feet will solidify into bony tissue in a process known as ossification. Her feet will continue to grow and develop well into her late teens. You can help your read more »

“Fit to be tied” means being so angry or agitated as to need restraint, but with a little semantic license, it could also describe a pair of shoes that fit so well they’re ready to lace up and wear out the door. The point is, proper shoe fit is more important than most people realize. If you don’t spend the read more »

We’re all aware that being obese, or even just overweight, elevates the risk of incurring all sorts of negative conditions. The effects of obesity on the body include hypertension leading to heart conditions and other cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, sleep apnea, hernias, and respiratory problems. About 34% of the adult US population is obese, while 68% is overweight. It’s read more »

What’s Charcot Foot? Charcot foot (also known as “Neuropathic Arthopathy“) is when your foot starts to “soften.” This happens because of progressive degeneration of the weight-bearing joints of the foot. This is the bones in the foot weakening. It occurs in people who have significant nerve damage (neuropathy), most often those who are diabetic. It has been reported in 29% read more »

What’s an Os Trigonum? An os trigonum is a non-utilitarian piece of bone that usually rests peacefully at the back of some peoples’ feet. Ordinarily, an os trigonum is a harmless anomaly. However, if you punt a football, kick a soccer ball, swim using a butterfly kick, or go en pointe as a ballet dancer, that little hunk of bone read more »

It’s sad but true, you can’t rush your recovery after having ankle surgery Ankle surgery recovery isn’t a walk in the park (pun intended), but getting back into your regular workout routine doesn’t have to be like a grueling marathon either. It’s a big change to your lifestyle when you’re recovering from a broken ankle, but the time you invest read more »

Heel pain is one of the most common problems foot and ankle physicians encounter on a daily basis. Unfortunately, it is also a problem that plantar fasciitis is so common because many physicians do not consider that heel pain can be due to a multitude of problems, of which plantar fasciitis is only one. Radiographs, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound read more »

The famous dancer and choreographer Martha Graham once said, “Think of the magic of the foot, comparatively small, upon which your whole weight rests. It’s a miracle.” But not all feet are so wonderfully miraculous. Some aren’t so pretty. Some are flat. And some are so extremely arched as to cause chronic problems. What’s pes cavus (aka high arches)? Women read more »

There was a wonderful article in the Boston Globe recently about plantar fasciitis, which seems to be everywhere these days. Beth Teitel, the author and Boston Globe Features Writer did a great job and also featured Dr. Bob Baravarian, assistant clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine and co-director of University Foot and Ankle Institute. A spokesman for the 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 »