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Accessory Navicular Syndrome
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
What is the Accessory Navicular?
The accessory navicular (os navicularum or os tibiale externum) is an extra bone or piece of cartilage located on the inner side of the foot just above the arch. It is incorporated within the posterior tibial tendon, which attaches in this area.
An accessory navicular
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Achilles Tendon Rupture
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
What is the Achilles Tendon?
A tendon is a band of tissue that connects a muscle to a bone. The Achilles tendon runs down the back of the lower leg and connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. Also called the "heel cord," the Achilles tendon facilitates walking by helping to raise the heel off
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Arch Pain
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
Pain across the bottom of the foot at any point between the heel and the ball of the foot is often referred to as "arch pain." Although this description is non-specific, most arch pain is due to strain or inflammation of the plantar fascia (a long ligament on the bottom of the foot). This condition is
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Arch Supports
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
Arch supports are devices that are placed into one’s shoes to support the arch and diminish or eliminate pain. A foot and ankle surgeon may provide advice on which type is best for your foot type, and you may be able to obtain arch supports from the doctor’s office. Arch supports can also be purchased
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Bone Healing
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
How Does a Bone Heal?
All broken bones go through the same healing process. This is true whether a bone has been cut as part of a surgical procedure or fractured through an injury.
The bone healing process has three overlapping stages: inflammation, bone production, and bone remodeling.
Inflammation
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Bone Infection
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
Osteomyelitis (an infection of the bone) can be caused by a variety of microbial agents (bacteria, fungus), the most common of which is staphylococcus aureus.
This serious infection can occur from a number of sources:
• It may enter bone through an injury, such as an open fracture with the bone
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Bone Tumors in the Foot
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
Bone tumors are caused by an abnormal growth of cells. They may be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Although rare, bone tumors can occur in the foot and ankle. They can be primary (originating in the bone), or secondary (originating in another part of the body).
Symptoms of a bone tumor
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Brachymetatarsia
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
Brachymetatarsia is a condition in which one of the bones in the front of the foot is significantly shorter than the others. Although it may affect any of the five metatarsals, it most commonly affects the fourth metatarsal. Looking at the foot, it might appear that the fourth toe itself is shorter than
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Bunions (Hallux Abducto Valgus)
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
Even though bunions are a common foot deformity, there are misconceptions about them. Many people may unnecessarily suffer the pain of bunions for years before seeking treatment.
What is a Bunion?
A bunion (also referred to as hallux valgus or hallux abducto valgus) is often described as a bump
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Bursitis
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
Bursitis is an inflammation of a small fluid-filled sac, called a bursa, located near a joint, bone or tendon. The bursa, which protects the area from friction, can become inflamed from repetitive motion or irritation from shoes. In the foot, the heel and the toes are most often affected.
Symptoms
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Calcaneal Apophysitis (Sever's Disease)
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
What Is Calcaneal Apophysitis?
Calcaneal apophysitis is a painful inflammation of the heel’s growth plate. It typically affects children between the ages of 8 and 14 years old, because the heel bone (calcaneus) is not fully developed until at least age 14. Until then, new bone is forming at the growth
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Calf Pain
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
Calf pain can result from many different causes. Sometimes something as simple as over-activity causes muscle strain in the calf. Or, dietary imbalances may cause cramping in the calf.
However, calf pain may be a symptom of more serious problems as well. Poor blood flow to the legs (peripheral vascular
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Capsulitis of the Second Toe
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
What is Capsulitis of the Second Toe?
Ligaments surrounding the joint at the base of the second toe form a “capsule,” which helps the joint to function properly. Capsulitis is a condition in which these ligaments have become inflamed.
Although capsulitis can also occur in the joints of the
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Cavus Foot (High-Arched Foot)
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
What is Cavus Foot?
Cavus foot is a condition in which the foot has a very high arch. Because of this high arch, an excessive amount of weight is placed on the ball and heel of the foot when walking or standing. Cavus foot can lead to a variety of signs and symptoms, such as pain and instability. It
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Charcot Foot
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
What Is Charcot Foot?Charcot foot is a condition causing weakening of the bones in the foot that can occur in people who have significant nerve damage (neuropathy). The bones are weakened enough to fracture, and with continued walking the foot eventually changes shape. As the disorder progresses, the
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Chronic Ankle Instability
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
What Is Chronic Ankle Instability?
Chronic ankle instability is a condition characterized by a recurring “giving way” of the outer (lateral) side of the ankle. This condition often develops after repeated ankle sprains. Usually the “giving way” occurs while walking or doing other activities,
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Clubfoot
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
Clubfoot (congenital talipes equinovarus) is a deformity that is present at birth in about one in every 1,000 children. It occurs in males more often than females, and can affect one or both feet.
The feet of an infant with clubfoot point down and inward. It is not painful, but must be corrected to
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Cold Feet
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
Cold feet are most commonly a result of medical conditions that cause poor blood flow in the legs or feet, such as peripheral vascular disease (PVD), a blockage or narrowing of the arteries, Raynauds’s phenomenon (cold sensitivity which causes a spasm of the blood vessels), and heart disease. Some
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Common Disorders of the Achilles Tendon
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
What Is the Achilles Tendon?
A tendon is a band of tissue that connects a muscle to a bone. The Achilles tendon runs down the back of the lower leg and connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. Also called the “heel cord,” the Achilles tendon facilitates walking by helping to raise the heel off
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DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis)
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
What is Deep Vein Thrombosis?
The blood supply of the leg is transported by arteries and veins. The arteries carry blood from the heart to the limbs; veins carry blood back to the heart. The leg contains superficial veins, which are close to the surface, and deep veins, which lie much deeper in the
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Drop Foot
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
“Drop foot” refers to the inability to lift the front part of one’s foot off the ground when walking, resulting in a scuffing or dragging of the foot or lifting the thigh (known as “steppage” gait). It is most often caused by nerve or muscle disorders or damage, or by a central nervous system
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Extra Bones
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
There are 26 bones in the human foot. Some people have “extra bones” (accessory ossicles) which are usually congenital (present at birth) but may also be due to previous trauma. These extra bones, which can occur with any bone in the foot, can be painless (asymptomatic) and are only noticed when
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Fallen Arches
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
"Fallen arches" is a common term used to describe a flatfoot condition that develops during adulthood. This should not be confused with other causes of flatfoot that may develop during childhood or adolescence.
Most cases of “fallen arches” develop when the main arch-supporting tendon (the posterior
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Fifth Metatarsal Fracture
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
What is a Fifth Metatarsal Fracture?
Fractures (breaks) are common in the fifth metatarsal – the long bone on the outside of the foot that connects to the little toe. Two types of fractures that often occur in the fifth metatarsal are:
Avulsion fracture. In an avulsion fracture, a small piece
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Foot Arthritis
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
Arthritis is a general term for a group of more than 100 diseases. “Arthritis” means “joint inflammation.” When it affects joints of the foot it can produce swelling and pain, and may eventually result in deformity, loss of joint function, and decreased ability to walk.
The most common form
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Foot Drop
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
"Foot drop” refers to the inability to lift the front part of one’s foot off the ground when walking, resulting in a scuffing or dragging of the foot or lifting the thigh (known as “steppage” gait). It is most often caused by nerve or muscle disorders or damage, or by a central nervous system
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Gangrene
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
Gangrene occurs when there is a lack of blood supply to tissue, depriving it of oxygen, and thereby causing death and decay of the tissue. The two types of gangrene are wet (caused by bacterial infection) and dry (no infection). Most common causes of gangrene are diabetes, arteriosclerosis, tobacco abuse,
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Gout
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
What Is Gout?
Gout is a disorder that results from the build-up of uric acid in the tissues or a joint. It most often affects the joint of the big toe.
Causes
Gout attacks are caused by deposits of crystallized uric acid in the joint. Uric acid is present in the blood and eliminated in the urine,
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Haglund's Deformity
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
What Is Haglund's Deformity?
Haglund’s deformity is a bony enlargement on the back of the heel. The soft tissue near the Achilles tendon becomes irritated when the bony enlargement rubs against shoes. This often leads to painful bursitis, which is an inflammation of the bursa (a fluid-filled sac
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Hallux Rigidus
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
What Is Hallux Rigidus?
Hallux rigidus is a disorder of the joint located at the base of the big toe. It causes pain and stiffness in the joint, and with time it gets increasingly harder to bend the toe. ‘Hallux” refers to the big toe, while “rigidus” indicates that the toe is rigid and cannot
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Hammertoes
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
What Is Hammertoe?
Hammertoe is a contracture (bending) of one or both joints of the second, third, fourth, or fifth (little) toes. This abnormal bending can put pressure on the toe when wearing shoes, causing problems to develop.
Hammertoes usually start out as mild deformities and get progressively
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High-Arched Foot
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
What is Cavus Foot?
Cavus foot is a condition in which the foot has a very high arch. Because of this high arch, an excessive amount of weight is placed on the ball and heel of the foot when walking or standing. Cavus foot can lead to a variety of signs and symptoms, such as pain and instability. It
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Intermetatarsal Neuroma
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
What Is a Neuroma?A neuroma is a thickening of nerve tissue that may develop in various parts of the body. The most common neuroma in the foot is a Morton’s neuroma, which occurs between the third and fourth toes. It is sometimes referred to as an intermetatarsal neuroma. “Intermetatarsal” describes
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Intoeing
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
Intoeing (pigeon toes) is a condition in which the feet point inward when walking. It is commonly seen in children and may resolve in very early childhood with no treatment or intervention. The child should be examined by a foot and ankle surgeon if the intoeing is causing significant tripping, difficulty
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Joint Pain in the Foot
Category:
Bone/Joint/Tendon
The foot contains 26 bones and more than 30 joints. Many people experience pain involving one or more of these joints. The pain may be accompanied by swelling, tenderness, stiffness, redness, bruising, and/or increased warmth over the affected joints.
Joint pain may be caused by trauma, infection, inflammation,
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