Some Basics...

• There are many ways that people can injure their foot or ankle.
• There are also many types of foot and ankle injuries. There are bones, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and muscles in the foot and ankle. These can all be injured.
• Treatment depends on the type of injury a person has. A doctor will know the right way to treat a foot or ankle injury.

Whether you're an athlete or a couch potato who hasn't seen a gym in a while, soft-tissue injuries such as strains, sprains, and bruises can happen to anybody at any time. A weekend outing gone awry, too much time doing yard work or bent over a computer,  even playing Frisbee on the beach can leave you hurting unexpectedly.

You are an active tennis player but cannot return to the court since you sprained your ankle. Or perhaps you have battled osteoarthritis in your knees for the past few decades. Maybe rheumatoid arthritis causes crippling joint pain in your mother’s hands. What can you do about the pain?

A ground-breaking technique means that people with ankle arthritis have a new option for total ankle replacement that does not involve metal implants or bone fusion.  The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 20% of adults have diagnosed arthritis, and that number is expected to increase significantly in the future.  Ankle arthritis can cause considerable pain, loss of function, and limited activity.  Traditional metal ankle replacements have a high rate of failure, complications, and few options for revision surgery.  The new non-metal implant is made of collagen that is very compatible with the human body.  In fact, there is no need to take antibiotics and no risk of rejection. 

By Prevention

Jun 22, 2014

The American Podiatric Medical Association reports that an overwhelming majority of Americans—75%—experience problems with their feet at some point during their lifetimes. It’s no wonder, considering the complexity of the foot. Each foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, 19 muscles, and many tendons that hold the foot together and help it move in various directions. The average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, at times putting so much pressure on the feet that it exceeds his or her body weight. Amazingly, it’s not really the workout that batters feet, it’s most often a combination of ill-fitting shoes and neglect. Fortunately, much can be done to ease foot pain. Here’s what our experts recommend to treat foot pain.