Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgery and Care
Care for injuries and conditions that affect the foot and ankle.
In addition to orthopedic doctors specializing in medical treatment of the foot and ankle, patients have access to podiatrists, who provide orthopedic care plus additional services.
The differences between a podiatrist and an orthopedic specialist who treats conditions of the foot and ankle can be summed up this way:
- Orthopedic doctors are trained and capable of providing medical and surgical care for joints and soft tissues of the entire body, but typically specialize in specific area or bone structure.
- Podiatrists (doctors of podiatric medicine) are trained in orthopedic care of the foot and ankle with additional education and expertise in dermatology and biomechanics of the body’s lower extremities.
Orthopedic foot and ankle conditions and injuries
Common foot and ankle injuries and conditions treated by orthopedic doctors include:
- Achilles tendon tears, which can happen on the sports playing field or during other physical activities and involves rupturing the large tendon that connects the calf muscle to the heel bone.
- Congenital foot and ankle conditions.
- Dislocations, in which two bones that form a joint completely come apart.
- Fractures of the bones such as the talus bone (ankle) or metatarsals in the foot that can be caused by trauma injuries, or stress fractures, due to overuse or overtraining.
- Heel spurs, which can be associated with plantar fasciitis and appear on the back of the heel bone (calcaneus).
- Metatarsalgia, which is characterized by pain in the ball of the foot and may be an indication of a torn ligament between the foot’s arch and toes.
- Peroneal tendinosis, in which tendons that run along the outside of the ankle become thickened, swollen and painful due to overuse.
- Posterior tibial tendon tears, in which the tendon connecting the calf muscle to bones on the inside of the foot is torn.
- Sesamoiditis of the foot, which is an inflammation of tiny bones in the front of the foot that produces pain under the big toe and is considered a form of tendonitis.
- Tendinitis, which is a painful inflammation that can affect tendons in the feet and ankles, including the Achilles tendon.
- Turf toe, in which the main joint of the big toe is sprained due to hyperextension and is commonly found in athletes like football players who compete on artificial surfaces.
Orthopedic foot and ankle treatments
Orthopedic foot and ankle treatments at include:
- Non-surgical methods, including physical rehabilitation, anti-inflammatory therapies and use of orthotics.
- Foot and ankle conditioning programs designed to strengthen muscles, stabilize joints and prevent future injury.
- Repair and reconstruction of tendon tears, including the Achilles tendon of the ankle.
- Complex surgical procedures for fractures of the foot and ankle.
- Ankle reconstruction or replacement surgery.
- Reconstructive plastic surgery.