One feet are wondrous instruments that are tasked with handling millions of pounds of pressure over the years, and while they are great at healing after an injury, sometimes they need a little extra help to heal properly. With some injuries, the best way to give the patient the highest likelihood of a full recovery is with a surgical operation. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at five foot problems that are often best fixed with surgery.
Treating Foot Injuries With Surgery
Here are five foot and ankle injuries that oftentimes achieve the best healing results when surgically addressed.
1. Bunions – The unsightly bump on the side of your big toe is called a bunion, and it’s caused by a misalignment with the big toe joint. Very small bunions can respond well to footwear changes, but for more moderate or severe cases, it’s unlikely the joint will shift back into a stable location without surgical intervention. Minimally invasive bunion correction is one of Dr. Silverman’s specialties.
2. Achilles Tendon Tears – The Achilles tendon is the strongest tendon in the body, but that doesn’t mean it’s immune from tears. It can heal fine on its own without surgery, but that takes longer and still leaves you at an elevated risk for another rupture. Surgically fixing an Achilles tear helps you recover faster and can make the tendon much stronger, allowing you to get back to sporting activities with a reduced risk of another tear.
3. Hammertoes – A hammertoe occurs when joints in the mid-toe flex upwards, giving your toes a scrunched appearance. Changing footwear can help take pressure off these toes, but oftentimes the damage to the soft tissues in the area is too severe. A small procedure can help to fix the tendons and muscles in the area causing your toe to flex upwards.
4. Ankle Instability – If you regularly roll your ankles, you may have loose or damaged lateral ankle ligaments. While it may not be painful in and of itself, it can put you at a higher risk for repeated ankle sprains and ankle fractures. Physical therapy can be helpful, but a minimally invasive corrective procedure can help to strengthen your ankle ligaments and prevent a potentially more serious injury down the road.
5. Morton’s Neuroma – Morton’s neuroma is a foot condition that affects the nerves in your toes near the balls of your feet. It often feels like you have a pebble or marble in your shoe under the ball of your toe. Oftentimes caused by wearing poor fitting shoes, this nerve issue can readily be treated with a minimally invasive outpatient surgery.
