Support, realignment, and relief.
Foot problems can be due to the tendons and ligaments stretching out, or progressive arthritis.
One of the more common conditions we see with stretched out ligaments are patients with a ‘flatfoot’. There are several different causes for having this and is largely divided in those that affect us when we are adolescents, which rarely needs treatment, or affects us as we get older. This later onset condition may progressively collapse, but in most cases can be stabilised with good arch supportive footwear and physiotherapy to stretch the achilles and strengthen the weakened muscles. In those that have persistent pain, surgery is an option. Most of the time we can correct the foot shape by a combination of minimally invasive bone cuts and screws, titanium wedges to correct the foot alignment, along with moving a tendon to support the foot.
There are many joints in the foot, and any of these can get worn out and develop arthritis. Like most foot conditions, supportive footwear is a good place to start. If this doesn’t work injections may be useful as a temporary measure, but if the pain persists then an operation with either a debridement of the joint, or a fusion by sticking the joint together, are useful operations. Unfortunately, technology hasn’t advanced for us to reliably replace these smaller joints within the foot.
