Foot and Ankle Blog - Page 5 of 8

Satisfactory treatment has long been available for early-stage ankle arthritis. And effective procedures, including ankle fusion and total ankle replacement, are available for end-stage ankle arthritis. But one of the last great barriers in the treatment of ankle arthritis has been how to handle moderate ankle arthritis. Until recently, some of the greatest podiatric challenges were moderate ankle arthritis cases. read more »

Researchers at Duke University just published a breakthrough study in the journal Science Advances showing that humans have the ability to repair and regrow cartilage similar to other species like salamanders, lizards and zebrafish.  This has important implications for the treatment of joint injuries and arthritis. Humans have always had the ability to regrow tissue For years, scientists have acknowledged read more »

Pain from your little toe (or baby toe or pinky toe) could be telling you something important. Here are four things to know about pinky toe pain.

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 »

A lot of bunion sufferers come to us stating that they avoided bunion surgery for years because they “heard” terrible things that are simply untrue about bunion surgery. Two examples of this are “bunion surgery hurts like crazy” and “why bother getting a bunion surgically repaired since they come back anyway.” There are many bunion surgery myths and we are read more »

Worried about wide feet? Forget about it! Most wide foot problems can be resolved by ignoring other people's aesthetic judgments.

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 »

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.

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 »

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 »

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 »

So you have a bunion and you are considering surgery. How do you know what surgeon is the best for you? After 20 years of taking care of patients with foot and ankle ailments, I have come up with what I believe is the perfect bunion surgeon.