FOOT & ANKLE

Your feet and ankles are the most used and abused parts of your body. But you don’t have to be stopped by injuries, malformations, or other debilitating ailments. The extensive range of treatable conditions includes everything from sprains and fractures to ingrown toenails and bone spurs to diabetic foot care. We are dedicated to palliative and preventive foot care in an effort to ensure that our patients’ feet remain healthy and strong throughout their lives. In the case of an accident or more severe affliction, however, we specialize in expert treatment using state-of-the-art techniques, technologies and practices to ensure our patients get the best care available.

Simply put, a fracture is any break in a bone. There are a wide variety of fractures that can occur in the foot – ranging anywhere from a hairline crack in the bone (a stress fracture) to a complete break.

Most often the result of a sporting accident, fall or car accident, fractures in the ankle and foot bones can cause a wide variety of symptoms and, dependent upon the location and severity of the break as well as the patient’s overall health, often require different treatments. Symptoms that one or more of the three bones that make up the ankle may be fractured range between severe pain in the ankle, swelling, bruising, tenderness, inability to bear weight and deformity of the joint. Foot and ankle fractures may also be accompanied by dislocation or ligament damage (sprain).

There are many different kinds of fractures that can happen to the metatarsals (long bones of the forefoot) and digits (toes/phalanges). Although they are painful, these fractures are often stress fractures, typically caused by recent increases or changes in activity and can often heal without the need for surgery. In some cases, the small toe may fracture if it is forcefully landed on or if the ligament of a twisted ankle pulls off a piece of the bone. Symptoms of a toe or metatarsal fracture can include swelling, bruising or pain that gradually increases while walking.

An injury to the Lisfranc joint is an often missed diagnosis because symptoms are similar to a sprain – swelling and pain at the top of the foot, bruising, trouble with bearing weight, and pain when moving the foot while the ankle is held steady. Lisfranc injuries occur as a result of direct or indirect forces to the foot and are often caused by car accidents, contact sports, or even something as simple as miss-stepping off of a stair. If you believe you have a sprain but it does not improve with rest and ice after a few days, you may have a Lisfranc joint fracture and should see a doctor immediately to prevent further injury.

Typically resulting from an automobile accident or fall from a height, heel injuries can be very painful. Symptoms can include swelling and stiffness, pain on the outside of the ankle or under the heel, inability to bear weight and bruising. Injuries to the heel are often times accompanied by back or knee injuries as a result of the great force required to break the heel bone.