What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a debilitating condition that affects the joints causing stiffness and loss of mobility. It usually affects the joints in the hands, feet, and knees.

This condition occurs when cartilage breaks down due to wear and tear on the joints, causing friction in the joint as it moves. This results in inflammation, swelling, and pain. Osteoarthritis often affects people over 50 years old. It can also occur in people if they have a previous history of an injury or a fracture.

Several factors can cause Osteoarthritis. Here are five causes of Osteoarthritis:

• Heredity
• Aging
• Repetitive Overuse Injuries
• Obesity
• Trauma

Diagnosis of Osteoarthritis of the foot and ankle

• Foot examination

The doctor will examine your feet and ankles, checking for tenderness, swelling, redness, and deformity. They may also look at your gait (the way you walk).

• X-rays

X-rays can help your doctor see how much joint space is lost due to Osteoarthritis. This makes it easier to diagnose Osteoarthritis and stage it into various stages depending upon the X-ray picture.

• CT scan

A CT allows your doctor to see the joint destruction in minute detail, especially in early cases, and also helps in planning their surgery.

Osteoarthritis of the foot and ankle is a gradually progressive condition that affects daily activities of your life. If it progresses to a severe problem, you might have to have your foot or ankle surgically treated. You can contact Dr. Chetan Oswal at Orthowin Clinic, Pune.

Dr. Chetan Oswal is an Orthopedic surgeon with exclusive expertise in the foot and ankle area. He has had his advanced surgical fellowship from the United kingdom. Complicated foot and ankle surgery are his forte. Dr. Chetan Oswal with his specialized training in foot and ankle reconstruction offers minimally invasive keyhole surgery for foot and ankle problems which enables patients to recover quickly & resume work/duties/sports at the earliest. Dr. Chetan Oswal assures them to treat his patients with all his medical knowledge and skills.

The post What is Osteoarthritis of the Foot and Ankle? appeared first on Pune Foot Ankle.

• Avulsion Fracture:-

During the event of an avulsion fracture, a small bone gets pulled off the major portion of your bone by a ligament or a tendon. This kind of fracture occurs from injury when an ankle rolls. When they happen with a sprain of the ankle, avulsion fractures often get overlooked.

• Jones Fracture:-

Jones Fracture happens in the fifth metatarsal area that gets less blood supply and is prone to difficulties at the time of healing. It can occur in the form of a sudden or acute break or a stress fracture. This kind of fracture can result from repetitive trauma or stress and overuse. They are hard to treat and less common in comparison to avulsion fractures.

Other fractures can also take place in the fifth metatarsal. Some examples consist of midshaft fractures that happen due to twisting or trauma and fractures of the metatarsal neck and head.

Symptoms:-

• Tenderness, swelling, pain
• Bruising
• Difficulty walking

Diagnosis:-

Anyone who has the symptoms of having a fifth metatarsal fracture needs to see an ankle and foot surgeon as soon as they can for proper treatment and diagnosis. To get a diagnosis, the surgeon will question how an injury occurred at the time you first noticed the pain. They will examine your foot by pressing areas to determine the origin of the pain. You may further need to get imaging and x-rays.

Treatment:-

• Surgical Treatment
• Non-surgical Treatment

1. Take rest
2. Apply ice
3. Compress
4. Keep your foot elevated

Conclusion:-

If you require any consultation for your Jones fracture, you can reach out to Dr. Chetan Oswal at Orthowin Foot and Ankle Clinic in Pune.

The post Fractures of the 5th Metatarsal (Jones Fracture) appeared first on Pune Foot Ankle.

Symptoms of Chronic Ankle Instability

People who suffer from chronic ankle instability often complain regarding the following symptoms.

• Tenderness or pain
• A feeling of instability or wobbliness in your ankle
• Persistent and chronic swelling and discomfort
• A repeated turning of your ankle on some uneven surfaces or when you participate in sports

Causes of Chronic Ankle Instability

Chronic ankle instability occurs from an ankle sprain that has not healed adequately or rehabilitated completely. When you sprain the ankle, the ligaments or connective tissues are torn or stretched. Your ability to balance gets affected. You need proper rehabilitation to strengthen your muscles around your ankle and retrain the tissues within your ankle that affect your balance.

Repetitive ankle sprains perpetuate and cause chronic ankle instability. Each sprain subsequently results in further stretching or weakening of your ligaments that leads to greater instability and the chances of getting additional ankle-related problems.

Diagnosis of Chronic Ankle Instability

MRI is one of the most useful ways of diagnosing chronic ankle instability. It can identify any injury on the ligament as fiber discontinuity, swelling, wavy or lax ligament, and non-visualisation.

Treatment for Chronic Ankle Instability

• Non-Surgical Treatment

1. Medications
2. Bracing
3. Physical therapy

• Surgical Treatment- Ligament repair

Conclusion

If you require any assistance or consultation for your chronic ankle instability, you can reach out to Dr. Chetan Oswal at Orthowin Foot and Ankle Clinic in Pune.

The post Chronic Ankle Instability: What to Do When a Sprained Ankle Won’t Heal appeared first on Pune Foot Ankle.

You have to take care of the ingrown toenails by yourself. If the pain is spreading or severe, your doctor will take some steps to relieve discomfort and prevent complications of the ingrown toenails.

What are the symptoms of an ingrown toenail?

• Tissue infection around the toenail.
• Swelling of the toe around your nail.
• Tenderness and pain in the toe along both or one side of the nail.
• Redness around the toenail.

Causes of an ingrown toenail

You will get an ingrown toenail when you-

• Cut the toenail quite short.
• Wear tight hosiery or shoes that do not fit properly that press the nail into the toe.
• Inherit genes that put you at risk of having them.
• Injure the toe by jamming or stubbing it.
• Round the nail edges. To avoid an ingrown toenail, always trim them straight.
• Put stress repeatedly on the toes because of poor physical activity or posture that stress the foot like soccer, ballet, and running.

What are the treatments of an ingrown toenail?

• Soak the feet in warm water for a duration of fifteen to twenty minutes each day three times.
• Keep them dry and avoid dampness.
• Take the help of a wedge to lift the nail.
• Apply an antibiotic cream.
• Proper fitting socks.
• Take painkillers.

Conclusion

If you have an ingrown toenail, you can contact Dr. Chetan Oswal at Orthowin Foot and Ankle Clinic in Pune.

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