The foot has 26 bones--14 in the toes and 12 in the ankle and instep--that carry the weight of the body and provide movement. Between these 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 muscles, ligaments and tendons, there are many opportunities for the need of foot surgery to repair damage.
Clubfoot Repair
Clubfoot repair is surgery to correct a genetic deformity of the foot and ankle when the ligaments and tendons are so tight that the bones are held in the wrong position. The extent of the surgery depends on the seriousness of the deformity, the child's age and any previous corrective treatments, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Clubfoot repair, performed under general anesthesia, requires one or two small cuts. The length of the tendons is adjusted either shorter or longer to properly align the bones and joints.
Arthroscopic Debridement
Arthritis, an inflammation of the joints, can cause pain, swelling, tenderness and loss of mobility in any joint in the body. The most common joints in the foot and ankle for arthritis are the three joints of the hindfoot, the midfoot, the great toe and the location where the shinbone rests on the foot at the ankle, according to U.C. San Diego Health System. Treatment options include arthroscopic debridement, a surgical procedure in which an arthroscope is inserted through tiny incisions to remove bone spurs and loose pieces of cartilage and smooth the rough cartilage surfaces.
Fusion
Fusion, or arthrodesis, permanently joins two bones together where there is no longer any movement. Conditions that can lead to fusion surgery in the foot include arthritis, congenital defects, infections and poorly healed fractures, reports Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia or with spinal anesthesia, which numbs the lower body. Fusion takes between two and five hours, depending on the location and cause of the fusion. Healing from a fusion in the foot can take up to four months, during which time a cast must be worn.
Broken Foot Repair
Symptoms of a broken foot or ankle include sudden pain, tenderness, swelling and the inability to bear weight or walk. In some cases, there may be bone fragments protruding through the skin. Depending on the location and extent of the break, surgery may be required to bring the bone into proper alignment. Plates, pins or screws may be used to support the bone until it is healed.
Heel Spur Surgery
Heel spurs can develop when the plantar fascia separates from the heel bone and calcium deposits form an abnormal bone growth. The plantar fascia is the primary tissue connected to the calcaneus, or the heel bone. Inflammation and pain in the tissue surrounding the spur is known as plantar fasciitis. People at risk for developing heel spurs include middle-aged adults, anyone with a long history of plantar fasciitis and people with high arches, according to Steadman Hawkins Clinic Denver. Wearing high heels puts women at a greater risk for heel spurs. Endoscopic and open surgeries for heel spurs include plantar fascia release, in which the plantar fascia ligament is partially cut to relieve the tension, reports the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Removal of the bone spur is done at this time.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: What Is Clubfoot Repair?
- UC San Diego Health System: Arthroscopic Debridement for Arthritis
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: Why Fusion Surgery In The Foot?
- MayoClinic: Implants for Broken Foot Repair
- Steadman Hawkins Clinic Denver: Women At Risk for Heel Spurs
