Foot & Ankle Care

Depending on your needs, your multidisciplinary care team may include these or other specialists:

• Orthopedic foot surgeon or ankle surgeon
• Physical and occupational therapists
• Podiatrists (foot doctors)
• Sports medicine providers

Foot & Toe Conditions

Our team has expertise in treating all conditions that affect the feet and toes, including these and others:

• Bunions (enlargement in base of big toe)
• Claw toes (causes toes to stay curled up)
• Club feet (foot that points downward and inward)
• Diabetes-related foot problems
• Flatfoot
• Hallux rigidus (pain and stiffness in the big toe)
• Hammer toe (bend in the middle toe joint)
• Heel spurs (unusual growth of bone in the heel)
• Ingrown toenails
• Mallet toes (causes a bend in the toe)
• Morton’s neuroma (non-cancerous growth of nerve tissue)
• Plantar fasciitis (pain in the muscle band that runs from the heel to ball of foot)
• Turf toe

Ankle & Lower Leg Conditions

We are experienced in treating all conditions that affect the ankles and lower legs. This experience ensures we can offer you the best care available for these and other issues:

• Achilles tendon problems, including Achilles tear
• Ankle fractures and injuries
• Ankle instability
• Ankle replacement
• Shin splints
• Sprained ankle

Other Conditions of the Lower Extremities

We also treat conditions that may affect different areas of the lower extremities. Some patients experience more than one of these issues:

• Arthritis
• Avascular necrosis (death of bone tissue due to reduced blood supply)
• Bone spur
• Broken bones
• Ligament strains or tears (cartilage that connects two bones)
• Lisfranc injuries (occurs when impact damages the bone)
• Neuromas (growth of nerve cells at a nerve injury site)
• Removal of cysts and ganglions (fluid-filled lumps under the skin)
• Stress fracture (break typically caused by overuse or repetitive movements)
• Tendon injuries and tears
• Tendonitis (swelling of a tendon, which connects muscle to bone)

Understanding Bunions

Bunions are a fairly common foot concern; our team treats many people with bunions each year. A bunion — or hallux valgus — is an enlargement of the base of your first toe. People with flat feet are more likely to develop bunions because of how their feet are positioned while walking. Wearing shoes that don’t fit well also can contribute to developing bunions.

Due to the forces going through the foot as you push off the ground, the first toe angles toward the other toes. Because of this, the base of the toe can become red, inflamed and painful. As the bunion becomes larger, the angle toward the other toes becomes greater and the first toe may cross over the second. The unusual position may become fixed as a bunion worsens over time.

If you have a bunion, rest assured you’ll be in good hands if you seek treatment from us. Typically, surgery is recommended only when the bunion is painful or limiting your activities in some way.

Your doctor will perform a complete physical exam, including asking you questions about your symptoms and your health history. We may ask you to walk so we can analyze your gait (walking pattern) as you move. We may order imaging studies, such as X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scans. Your doctor will use the results of these studies to develop the next steps of your treatment plan.

Whatever your diagnosis, you benefit from the collaborative, team-based approach that we use here at NEBH. We connect you with the specialty providers who you need to find relief and feel better.

In some cases, the first course of treatment may be to rest and allow your body to heal. Your specialist may recommend orthotics (such as insole inserts or wearing stiff shoes) to help relieve your symptoms. You may work with a physical therapist to regain strength and range of movement in the affected area. Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter pain medication or prescribe prescription medication to help reduce swelling and irritation while you heal.

If more conservative treatments are not effective in relieving your symptoms, your specialist may recommend surgery. Our surgeons are highly trained in the latest research-backed procedures for foot, toe and ankle conditions. If you need an ankle replacement, know that you’re in highly capable, experienced hands here at NEBH. We offer specialty surgical services including emergency foot surgery and reconstructive foot surgery.

We are one of the only hospitals in Boston to offer minimally invasive foot surgery.

Minimally invasive surgery provides the same or better results as traditional surgery, while minimizing damage to your muscles, tendons and surrounding structures. You benefit from decreased pain and scarring and a faster recovery from surgery.

You can enjoy these and other benefits of minimally invasive surgery:

• Decreased risk of wound infection
• Less blood loss during surgery
• Less swelling than traditional surgery
• Minimal scarring
• Rapid recovery

Candidates for Minimally Invasive Surgery

Our orthopedic surgeons often treat these and other issues using a minimally invasive approach: 

• Achilles tendinitis
• Achilles tendon rupture
• Ankle arthritis
• Ankle fracture
• Ankle instability
• Ankle osteochondral lesions
• Bunions
• Calcaneal (heel) fracture
• Flat feet 
• Great toe arthritis
• Hammer toes
• Hallux rigidus
• Metatarsalgia
• Midfoot arthritis
• Peroneal tendinitis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Posterior tibial tendinitis

How It Works

Our surgeons perform minimally invasive foot surgery through “key hole” incisions (cuts). Using special instruments, cameras and X-rays, your surgeon can access the damaged areas and protect the surrounding muscles and ligaments. We use specialized surgical instruments to correct the problem in the joint, tendon or ligament. Once the surgery is finished, the surrounding tissue will return to its normal position and your surgeon closes the small incisions — often as small as three millimeters.

We are one of the leading hospitals in the country for total ankle replacement.

Total ankle replacement (or ankle arthroplasty) is a surgical treatment for people with:

• End-stage osteoarthritis. This is a degenerative joint disease in which the articular cartilage (the tough but flexible tissue covering the ends of the bones) gradually wears away.
• Rheumatoid arthritis. In this inflammatory type of arthritis, the body attacks and breaks down the articular cartilage.

Learn more about our excellent care for ankle replacements at New England Baptist Hospital.