The goal of ankle and hindfoot reconstruction should always be to address the presenting concerns of the patient and the deformity, as well as to achieve a stable, functional and plantigrade foot. These goals are accomplished by appropriate preoperative patient assessment and planning, as well as by employing meticulous intraoperative technique and aftercare.

When pain treatments fail, patients who have worn away the cartilage between their ankle bones have limited options. While total knee replacements are quite common, total ankle replacements are not, primarily because they only last 5 – 7 years.

The development of a hallux valgus deformity in children and adolescents is actually an uncommon entity. Most of these occurrences can be treated nonoperatively. Surgery is often deferred until skeletal maturity because of historically high recurrence rates and inconsistent results.

The term bunion refers to a fairly common foot deformity composed of prominence of the medial forefoot that is associated with lateral deviation and sometimes rotation of the great toe toward the lesser toes.

Chronic proximal plantar fasciitis is an extremely common clinical entity seen in the practice of many medical and surgical disciplines. Resolution of this painful condition can be accomplished in 95% of cases with nonoperative care, the cornerstone of which is an aggressive heel cord and plantar fascial stretching regimen.

Distal osteotomies of the first metatarsal will usually only achieve satisfactory correction of a first intermetatarsal angle if it is less than or equal to about 15 degrees. One would have to imply different techniques for deformities with angles greater than this.

Inspect feet daily watching for blisters, cracks, calluses, inflamed areas, fungus infection, signs of shoe pressure, and signs of injury such as cuts, bruises, and skin breakdown between the toes. Wash feet daily with mild soap in tepid water and a soft brush.