A bunion is seen as an enlargement or “bump” on the inside of the foot near the big toe.
In more severe cases when the big toe joint is unable to move at all, the condition is called hallux rigidus (rigid big toe joint).
A tailor’s bunion (bunionette)is seen as an enlargement or “bump” on the outside of the foot near the little toe.
A callus is an area of thickened skin located on the bottom of the foot, in most cases on the ball of the foot and/or heel.
Hammer Toes occur when the tendons and ligaments around the toes become contracted and the toes take on a “claw-like” appearance.
A soft corn forms between the toes when the bony prominence known to doctors as the “condyle” of a toe rubs against the condyle of the adjacent toe while walking.
The most common cause of thick toenails is a fungus infection similar or identical to the fungus that causes “athlete’s foot.”
An Ingrown Toenail occurs when the side of a toenail begins to cut through the surrounding skin which is referred to by doctors as the ungualabia or “nail lip.”
Morton’s Neuroma occurs when one of the nerves on the bottom of the foot becomes “pinched” between two adjacent metatarsal bones or the base of the bones of two adjacent toes.
EPAT is an acronym for Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Treatment. “Extracorporeal” means “outside the body.”
Heel pain is usually caused by acute or chronic inflammation of the plantar fascia, a ligament-like structure located on the bottom of the foot.
The use of a series of 4% ethyl alcohol sclerosing solution showed an 89% success rate.
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Podiatry Exam & Consultation
Question: When is a bunion not a bunion?
Answer: When it’s an arthritic big toe joint.
The normal range of motion for a big toe joint is 65 to 75 degrees of
dorsiflexion (upward movement) and 30 to 35 degrees of plantarflexion
(downward movement). When this movement is restricted due to
deterioration of the cartilage in the big toe joint and/or the formation of
arthritic bone spurs around that joint, the condition is called hallux limitus
(limited big toe joint movement).
In more severe cases when the big toe joint is unable to move at all, the condition is called hallux rigidus (rigid big toe joint).
Many podiatrists and orthopedists treat these conditions by removing some of the bone(s) in the big toe joint and inserting “joint implants” which can be made out of plastic, metal, or both. Dr. Cowin strongly recommends against the insertion of these devices in the foot.
For most cases of hallux limitus, a minimally invasive procedure called
a Valenti Arthroplasty can be performed through a tiny incision to remodel
the arthritic spurs and big toe joint, allow an improved range of motion.
At right are illustrations of this procedure before and after treatments.
For more severe cases, such as hallux rigidus, a small portion of the
base of the great toe can be removed in a technique known as a Keller
Procedure.
Both of these procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis at Modern offices of Laser Foot Surgery Specialist.