Sports Medicine:
Foot & Ankle
Experts at Getting You Back on the Field
The foot and ankle are two of the most versatile and complex areas of your body. One foot alone contains 26 bones supported by a network of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. The foot and ankle are generally the foundation for movement — and pain that hinders this, your day-to-day activities, or your peak sports performance is challenging.
More than an estimated 11 million visits are made to physicians’ offices annually because of foot and ankle problems. This includes more than 2 million visits for ankle sprains and strains and more than 800,000 visits for ankle fractures. Orthopaedics East & Sports Medicine Center has performed thousands of these examinations and provided treatment options and positive outcomes for our patients across Eastern North Carolina for more than three decades. We have significant experience and expertise in non-surgical and surgical options to get you back on your feet.
To learn more about our foot and ankle orthopedics services, explore the injuries, conditions and treatments within this section. A qualified health care provider should properly evaluate and potentially treat any injury to the foot and ankle, because even injuries that seem mild or harmless may lead to complications and disability down the road.
Turf Toe
Turf toe is a sprain of the main joint, or metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint, of the big toe. It occurs when the toe is forcibly bent upward into hyperextension, resulting in an injury to the soft tissue that supports the MTP joint. Turf toe can vary in severity from stretching of the soft tissue to partial tearing and even total dislocation of the MTP joint.
Peroneal Tendon Tear
Peroneal tendons connect the muscles of the outer side of the calf to the foot. Tears are likely to occur from rolling the ankle inward. Sometimes the peroneal tendon can become entrapped, causing pain or tearing.
The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body, connecting your calf muscles to your heel bone. It is used when you walk, run, and jump. A rupture of the tendon is a tearing and separation of the tendon fibers. A complete rupture may require surgical intervention. Achilles tendinosis is wear and tear of the tendon over time. The pain from this can come on gradually at the back of the heel. There are various nonsurgical and surgical treatments to help this condition.
Sprains & Fractures
With an estimated 30,000 ankle sprains a year in the U.S. alone, sprained ankles are the most common athletic injury and the number one reason people go to see an orthopedist. Left undiagnosed or untreated, they can lead to chronic problems. Common foot and ankle fractures include those to the ankle join, metatarsal, calcaneus (heel), and toe. Treatments extend from rest and icing to bracing, physical therapy and, in extreme cases, surgery.
Schedule an appointment today with one of Eastern North Carolina’s leading orthopedic and sports medicine physicians!
