Causes of Foot & Ankle Pain

• Foot and ankle pain can be caused by injuries (sprains, fractures, Achilles tendinitis), arthritis (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis), or overuse (plantar fasciitis, stress fractures). Other causes include nerve compression, flat feet, gout, and infections.

Common Causes

• Ligament Tears: Includes deltoid ligament, anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (AITFL), and spring ligament.
• Muscle and Tendon Tears: Tendoachilles, tibialis posterior, flexor, and extensor muscles.
• Plantar Fasciitis
• Nerve Entrapments: Sural nerve, superficial and deep peroneal nerves, posterior tibial nerve, lateral and medial plantar nerves.
• Retrocalcaneal and Retroachilles Bursitis

Foot and Ankle Ultrasound:

• High-resolution ultrasound plays a key role in diagnosing ankle and foot conditions. Unlike static imaging modalities such as MRI, CT, or X-ray, ultrasound allows for dynamic real-time evaluation, detecting specific issues that occur during certain movements and positions.

Conditions Diagnosed via Ultrasound:

• ATFL Injuries
• Tibiotalar ligament
• Lateral and medial malleolus
• Achilles tendon injuries
• Plantar fasciitis

Other imaging methods include

• Radiograph ( X-rays ) - It helps us in identifying the bony pathologies like bones alignment issues, fractures or tumors etc.
• CT - Provides us the detailed images of bones and joints, enabling precise diagnosis and treatment planning. They help detect fractures, bone tumors, and joint disorders, enhancing patient care and outcomes.
• MRI - Provides us the detailed images of soft tissues, muscles, and joints helping detection of conditions like ligament tears, cartilage damage, and joint abnormalities
• 3D CT - Helps us in identifying the exact fracture lines , fragments orientation and planning of exact surgeries
• Diagnostic Arthroscopy –This minimally invasive procedure helps allowing direct visualization of joints and helps in detecting joint abnormalities, injuries, and conditions for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning

Minimally Invasive Treatments

• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy
• Growth factor concentrates (GFC) therapy
• Fluid aspiration
• Steroid injections
• Radiofrequency ablation

Surgical Option

• Bunion Surgery (Osteotomy), Hammer Toe Correction
• Achilles Tendon Repair, Tendon Repair and Reconstruction
• Clubfoot Reconstruction(CTEV), Flatfoot Reconstruction, Ankle Fusion(arthrodesis)
• Ankle Replacement (Arthroplasty), Minimally Invasive Foot Surgery, Ankle Arthroscopy
• Fracture Repair [open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for fractures and trauma].