Foot And Ankle Conditions

Tibialis posterior is one of the most important tendons in the foot. The muscle belly lies in the calf and the tendon passes just behind the medial (inner) bony prominence of the ankle. Its role is to hold up the arch of the foot and stabilize the midfoot on the hindfoot. Tendinopathy (disease) of tibialis […]

The plantar fascia is a tendon-like band of tissue which stretches from the heel to the toes. It acts a shock absorber and supports the arch of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is a condition characterised by pain felt on the underside of the heel. It is particularly severe first thing in the morning or when

A Morton neuroma is a benign but painful swelling of a small nerve either between the second and third or third and fourth metatarsals. It is caused by recurrent trauma to the nerve usually due either to abnormal biomechanics in the foot, overuse, or a combination of the two. It is common in distance runners.

Arthritis of the midfoot usually affects the tarsometatarsal, and sometimes the naviculocuneiform joints. It can be osteoarthritis (“wear and tear”), part of a generalized arthritis such as rheumatoid disease, or the result of previous injury such as a Lisfranc injury. Features of midfoot arthritis include pain felt in the centre of the foot, particularly on bearing

An ingrowing toenail is a common condition in which one or both sides of the great toenail turn downwards and start to dig into the flesh of the nail fold. This causes pain and can become infected. Ingrowing toenails can be caused by pressure of foot-wear, poor nail care or direct injury. Pincer nail is

A hammer toe is a toe which has become deformed due to hyperextension (lifting up) at the MTP joint (base of the toe) but flexion (bending downwards) at the PIP joint (next joint down within the toe). This can result in the toe rubbing on footwear and developing painful corns. The second toe is the

A flat foot (pes planus) is a foot in which the arch is lower than normal, or sometimes even absent altogether. Children’s feet naturally change shape as they grow. To have flat feet in infancy is normal but by school age most children have developed an arch, although children develop at different rates. Most children

A flat foot (pes planus) is a foot in which the arch is lower than normal, or sometimes even absent altogether. In some adults this is the normal foot shape and it causes no problems. In others however, the foot can become painful, stiff and progressively more deformed. This may be due to a variety

“Bunion” is a term used to describe a swelling at the base of the great toe. In most cases bunions are not caused by growth of extra bone but by the first metatarsal bone drifting out of alignment so that it becomes abnormally prominent in the medial (inner) side of the foot. To compensate the

Although most bunions are caused by malalignment of the first metatarsal bone, they can also be caused by arthritis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (hallux rigidus). This is a “wear and tear” process in which there is pain and swelling at the base of the great toe. Initially the pain may just be felt at