From the category archives:

Orthopedics

Plantar Plate Dysfunction

January 27, 2012

The plantar plate is an important structure of the first metatarsophalangeal joints in the foot. The plantar plate is part of the plantar fascia and is a thickening of the plantar aspect of the joint capsule. Plantar plate dysfunction is a common cause of pain under the first metatarsophalangeal joint. Ultrasound often demonstrates a plantar [...]

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Sesamoiditis

August 2, 2011

Sesamoiditis is a common problem in athlete with high loads under the first metatarsophalangeal joint. It is not really a sesamoiditis, as it is an inflammation of the soft tissues around the sesamoid bones at this joint. The pain of sesamoiditis is usually on direct palpation of the area. Imaging is sometimes useful to rule [...]

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Sinus Tarsi Syndrome

March 13, 2011

This is a common problem in athletes. Sinus tarsi syndrome generally occurs in two situations that are almost opposite to each other. One is that the structures in the sinus tarsi can be damaged during an inversion ankle sprain. Often this problem goes undetected until some of the original ankle sprain settles. The other condition [...]

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Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome

April 2, 2010

The April 2010 edition of  Podiatry Today magazine has a good update of the latest concepts in Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome by Kevin Kirby. Two interesting key concepts that came through in the review is that there is no agreement on exactly what is the pathological process in the condition – is it a soft tissue traction [...]

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Weightbearing MRI for plantar fasciitis

March 31, 2010

In a recent edition of Radiological Medicine there is a new study that investigated the use of a weightbearing MRI to assess those with plantar fasciitis. They were able to report that the changes in the MRI signal that was associated with plantar fasciitis when compared by blinded examiners in those without plantar fasciitis. Unlike [...]

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Cuboid Syndrome

December 8, 2009

Cuboid syndrome is a common overuse injury on the lateral side of the foot. it is generally thought to occur when the cuboid bone is not stable in the proximal and distal joints it has and contraction of the peroneus longus tendon that passes under the cuboid try to sublux the bone. The symptoms involve [...]

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Severs Disease

October 23, 2009

Severs disease or calcaneal apophysitis is a common problem of the heel in children aged 8 to 12 years. Some recent data on Severs Disease has suggested that the mechanism of injury may be a stress fracture like lesion of the cartilage growth plate. Most cases respond well to a cushioning heel lift, calf muscle [...]

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Gout as a cause of heel pain

October 22, 2009

Gout is not a common cause of heel pain but gout can affect the subtalar joint, causing pain in the rearfoot. The urate crystals can also deposit in the plantar soft tissue and mimic plantar fasciitis. The differential diagnosis is usually difficult as both can mimic other symptoms. For gout and heel pain, considers a [...]

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