Relieve ball of foot and heel pain with Leneva™

Updated 3/7/2024
Frank discusses how the LenevaTM procedure successfully treated his diabetic foot wound.

University Foot & Ankle Institute (UFAI) is proud to offer our patients Leneva — a new treatment that uses the patient’s fat cells to restore the foot’s natural cushioning. This minimally invasive injection increases comfort and mobility, and can also reduce pain. The all-natural injectable treatment consists of sterilized adipose tissue (human fat tissue) placed within a cellular matrix. 

 

Everyone’s feet change with age, often developing hammertoes, bunions, corns, calluses, plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, and neuromas, all of which can cause ball of foot pain.

 

When injected under a pressure point, Leneva cushions the area and provides a framework your body can use to generate new fat cells. This combination of grafted fat plus your new fat cells creates a stable cushion that can provide comfort for months, or even years. 

What conditions does Leneva™ treat?

Ball of foot pain, University Foot and Ankle Institute

One of the most frequent complaints from our patients is painful pressure points on the weight-bearing surface at the ball of the foot. There are many problems that can cause these pressure ulcers, including: 

 

  • An abnormally positioned bone
  • Toe deformities
  • Fat pad atrophy

 

An FDA-approved Leneva injection can also reduce pressure on the bottom of your feet and prevent diabetic foot ulcers, pressure sores, and tunneling wounds.

 

There might not be a medical condition behind your sore feet. As we age, many of our body’s fat deposits decrease, including the ones in the bottom of our feet. Thinning of the fat pad decreases your body’s natural cushioning and puts more pressure on your feet and bones. 

 

While shoe inserts or orthotics can add extra cushioning or protection to your shoes, they only help when you’re wearing them. Leneva fat pad restoration offers a long-term, minimally-invasive solution to painful feet while standing or walking.

 

What happens during a Leneva treatment?

The podiatrists at University Foot & Ankle Institute are trained in surgical and non-surgical methods of soft tissue reconstruction. Leneva is a great non-surgical option that our doctors are able to administer in-office with almost no downtime.

 

Leneva is an injectable product. You can think of it like a dermal filler that uses natural human fat instead of artificial fillers. Local anesthesia will be administered to the injection site to keep you pain-free and comfortable during the procedure.

 

With their intimate knowledge of foot function and structure, UFAI’s podiatry experts will strategically inject the Leneva to reduce pressure points in your foot. Once injected, the Leneva encourages your body to produce more fat cells to continue filling out your fat cushion and holds the fat in the correct area.

 

You’ll be sent home with after-care instructions and will need to come back for a follow-up to make sure your results are as expected.

 

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

What’s so revolutionary about Leneva is that the product organizes itself to fill in the fat-deficient area, decreasing the likelihood of product displacement. In short, the material remains where our doctor injected 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 encouraged the formation of new blood vessels (vital for wound healing) and new fat cells (important for added cushioning). 

 

By creating a longer-lasting natural cushion, Leneva has the potential to reduce pressure and friction, and therefore, pain. This can greatly improve quality of life for patients suffering from foot pain.

 

Why trust UFAI with your fat grafting? 

You don't have to live with foot pain. There is so much innovation in podiatric medicine today, and our board-certified orthopedic surgeons are at the forefront. With decades of combined experience and the highest success rates in the nation, we have effectively treated over 200,000 patients.

 

Foot and ankle pain is not normal. And ignoring it will likely cause your condition to worsen and become harder to treat. 

 

UFAI is well known as one of the nation's most technologically advanced foot and ankle practices (including sports medicine). While other practices say they know about "the latest and greatest," UFAI has been researching, running clinical trials, and performing state-of-the-art techniques for decades. 

 

We've been a leader in regenerative medicine for well over 10 years. This includes platelet-rich plasma therapy, stem cell therapy, and cartilage replacement. No other foot and ankle practice has more experience or success in developing and using human regenerative medicine.

 

To become a new patient, please call (877) 736-6001 or make an appointment online now.

 

University Foot and Ankle Institute is conveniently located throughout Southern California and the Los Angeles area. Our foot and ankle surgeons are available at locations in or near Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, the San Fernando Valley, El Segundo, the South Bay, LAX, Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village, Valencia, Santa Clarita, and Santa Barbara.

 

 

 

Leneva FAQs

 

How long does Leneva injection last?

The duration of the effects of a Leneva injection can vary depending on several factors, including the specific area treated, the individual's response to the treatment, and the amount of product used. Generally, the effects of Leneva injections can last up to two years.

 

Is Leneva FDA-approved?

Yes,  Leneva is FDA-approved

 

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