Recently, a man named Mike Stevens travelled from Mississippi to California to undergo a surgery that would transfer his big toe to his hand where it will replace the thumb he lost in an accident.  This may be a surprising idea to many people because the thumb and toes are not thought of as being as functional as the fingers.   However, the musculature and bone structure of the hands and feet are remarkable similar. 

 While it is very exciting that Mike will hopefully regain a large portion of the function of his thumb and be able to use his hands better in his career as a mechanic, he will have to take extra care to prevent additional deformities from occurring in his foot.  While Mike’s case is extreme, smaller changes in the action and structure of the muscle and ligaments of the foot are what can lead to various deformities and a decrease in the functionality of the foot.  One common example of this happening is the development of hammer toes.  Commonly, a muscle known as the tibialis posterior becomes weakened and muscles that attach to the bottom of the toes and act to flex them or pull them towards the ground are forced to “fire” earlier, longer and with more force to compensate.  This constant force leads to hammer toes which can cause painful corns on the tops of the second, third or fourth toes.  An excessive pull from one of the flexor muscles that causes hammer toes can also cause mallet toes.  The difference between a hammer toe and a mallet toe is that in mallet toe only the very tip of the toe is bent down towards the floor, while hammer toes have the base of the toe bent up away from the floor and the other 2/3 of the toe bent towards the ground.  Mallet toes can also cause corns or even black toenails from the nail abnormally hitting against the shoe forming a bruise. 

A variety of surgical procedures exist to successfully eliminate these deformities, but there are also many less invasive options for pain relief.  Corns should never be removed at home, especially in an individual with diabetes, as it can lead to serious infection if done improperly.  Your podiatrist can safely remove any corns or calluses and fit padding over the affected toe to lessen the development of painful corns in the future.  Custom orthotics can also be used to help correct the underlying muscle imbalance and any other abnormal changes in foot structure.  So whether you just had your big toe removed or you are tired of corns and your feet feeling tired and aching, contact your podiatrist to address these problems and allow your feet to function to the best of their ability!

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington. If you would like to see apodiatrist in Dublin, Ohio near Tuttle Crossing, call 614-885-3338 for an appointment.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

Every February, New York Fashion Week in New York City brings strange new trends for the people of Columbus and the world to be entertained by.  One strange fashion presented at a previous fashion week took the term “pigeon toed” literally by having real stuffed birds positioned as if they were sitting on top of the foot.  As a shoe trend, “pigeon toed” may be stylish, but when seen as a walking pattern in children, parents should contact their podiatrist for a checkup as soon as possible. 

Kid feet are not simply smaller versions of adult feet.  The bones in the legs and feet of a small child are still developing and can sometimes take on an appearance that would be abnormal for an adult, but is normal for a kid.  For example, infants can have flat arches that would be abnormal for an adult, but are normal for a for certain periods of childhood development.  Walking with the toes turned in toward the midline of the body is the walking pattern commonly referred to as being “pigeon toed” or “in-toeing” and can appear and spontaneously resolve in some children, while in others can be a major cause for concern. 

Being pigeon-toed can represent bone deformity in the feet, tibia (or shin bone), or hip.   When the foot bones are involved, the condition is typically called “metatarsus adductus”.  The metatarsal bones at the base of each toe develop angled toward the midline of the body, commonly as a result of the child’s position while developing in the mother.  Treatment can be highly successful if the condition is caught before the infant is two years of age using a series of casts to properly re-align the bones.  Custom shoes and orthotics may also be used.  When the tibia or hip is rotated towards the midline of the body causing the feet to also appear “pigeon toed” casting or surgery may also be needed as treatment.  For all of these conditions, the earlier a parent notices the problem and contacts their podiatrist, the more treatment options will be available.  Take care of your little ones’ feet beginning before they begin walking and they can avoid being pigeon toed for a life that will hopefully also be free of wearing pigeon high-heels!

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Powell. If you would like to see a podiatrist in Dublin, Ohio near Tuttle Crossing, call 614-885-3338 for an appointment.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

The Patriot’s tight end Rob Gronkowski’s performance at the Super Bowl should serve as a reminder to all athletes and non-athletes of the impact a few ligaments in your foot can have on your daily activities.  Earlier in the season, Rob had suffered one of the most common sports injuries, a severe ankle sprain and like many professional athletes, was willing to sacrifice the health of his feet and body to try to help his team at their biggest game of the year.  Luckily, Rob did not suffer any additional injuries while playing football on his already weakened ankle and underwent surgery this past Friday to treat his partially torn ligaments. 

Most ankle sprains occur when an individual has their foot in an inverted and plantar flexed position, meaning that the inner arch is lifted off the ground and their toes are flexed towards the ground.  Gronkowski’s injury occurred in the opposite of this motion with his foot everted, or with the side of the foot closer to the smaller toes lifted off the ground.  When injuries do occur with the foot in this position, damage tends to be more severe with a longer time needed for healing.  Although he did not break any bones, Gronkowski is said to have torn two ligaments.  While many would people think this should mean faster healing, it is important to remember that while a fracture can take around 6-8 weeks to heal, a damaged ligament also requires six to eight weeks to heal back to good strength. 

Ankle arthroscopy was used to surgically stabilize Gronkowski’s torn ligaments.  Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgery where a small incision is made that allows a tiny camera and surgical instruments to enter inside the affected joint.  This type of surgery was used because the damaged ligaments are intricately connected to not only to the opposing bones of the joint, but also to the capsule surrounding the joint.  This type of minimally invasive procedure means a smaller scar, and less wound for bacteria to try to enter.  Following this surgery, Gronkowski will be in a cast for about eight weeks to minimize excessive movement of the ligaments and promote healing.   This is very similar to bone healing, in which motion also needs to be minimized to prevent a nonunion, or the bone fragments not coming back together. 

In the meantime, Gronkowski’s doctor has hopefully gotten him into a physical therapy program to maintain his range of motion and reduce joint stiffness in the future.  To lessen the workload of the healed ligaments, orthotics, a brace, or specialized athletic shoes can also be used to increase the stability of the ankle joint after the eight weeks in the boot are completed. 

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington. If you would like to see a podiatrist in Dublin, Ohio near Tuttle Crossing, call 614-885-3338 for an appointment.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

New York Giants co-owner has discovered an unusual good luck charm for his team with a little help from his two daughters.  In late December, his daughters painted his nails in red and blue, the Giants’ colors, and the team has not lost a game since then.  Steve has left the polish on in the hopes that the good luck charm can work its magic for one last game at the Super Bowl. 

While his nail polish certainly may not be looking “pedicure perfect” after 5 weeks, the health of Steve’s toes and nails are in no danger as long as he still has been taking regular care of his feet.  Pedicures for both men and women can be relaxing and safe for as long as you keep the health of your feet a priority.  If Steve decides to keep his trend going there are a few things he should know about the relationship between toenails and overall health.  First, nail polish is completely safe to use on healthy toenails.  However, if a toenail fungus, or onychomycosis is present, nail polish should not be applied.  The polish “locks in” the fungus and allows it to continue thriving on nail tissue.  Treatment should be sought when nails appear abnormally thickened or discolored, as this can be a sign of an invasion of “dermatophytes”, the organisms most commonly at the root of a nail fungus.  After the nail infection is treated with PinPointe Foot Laser or a variety of other medications and the fungus has resolved, regular nail polish may be applied. 

The length of the nail after it has been trimmed can be another area of podiatric problems for those trimming their own nails or having them trimmed at a nail salon.  In some individuals, toenails are extremely curved along the sides.  When these curved nails are cut too short, the individual’s likelihood of developing an ingrown toenail is greatly increased as the nail regrows.  Ingrown toenails can become infected and extremely painful.  Contact your podiatrist at the first signs of an ingrown nail.  Attempting to remove the ingrown portion of the nail on your own can lead to dangerous infection that is capable of spreading beyond the affected toe. 

Whether you are prepping your nails for the big game or a big date before Valentine’s Day be sure to keep your feet healthy and call your podiatrist if you notice any unusual changes!

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Westerville. If you would like to see a podiatrist in Dublin, Ohio near Tuttle Crossing, call 614-885-3338 for an appointment.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

Although they do not have a date set in Columbus, fans traveling to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers tour for their 2011 album may be wondering what has led them to reschedule many of their appearances.   The cause of these major changes in concert dates is due to lead singer Anthony Kiedis’s painful foot injury of the two small bones at the base of the big toe called sesamoids. 

While many people believe there are 26 bones in the foot, there are technically 28 due to the 2 small constant sesamoids that Kiedis appears to have injured.  Normally the term sesamoid refers to a bone that is not found as part of the normal bones of the body and only appears in a small percentage of the population.  Sesamoids form in tendons and joint capsules to reduce the friction or alter the pull of the tendon.  The 2 constant sesamoids at the base of the big toe are found in a tendon; however they are present in the majority of the population unlike a typical sesamoid and thus are termed “constant”.  Sesamoids can also form elsewhere in the foot not as part of the normal anatomy and thus can occasionally cause discomfort.  Anthony Kiedis unfortunately discovered that the constant sesamoids can become irritated or fractured.  Because these bones are placed under tremendous pressure with each step we take as the foot propels off the ground, any damage to them can cause immense pain and trouble ambulating. 

Irritation and inflammation of the tendons surrounding the sesamoids is called sesamoiditis.  This is a type of tendonitis that does not typically require surgery as part of its treatment.  Fracture of the sesamoids occurs more commonly to the medial sesamoid, or the sesamoid that is located to the side of the big toe away from the other toes.  This is because the two sesamoids are separated from each other by a bony ridge called a crista on the bone they lie beneath.  The medial sesamoid can often slide under this crista and burst or fracture into many small pieces of bone when placed under pressure.  Surgery may be required to remove pieces of the sesamoid bone that have “died” from loss of blood supply.  Kiedis underwent this surgery to not only clean up the sesamoid fracture but also to correct the placement of the muscle tendon that the sesamoid usually lies within. 

Continuing to walk with a painful injury could have led to additional problems by the body attempting to compensate and avoid placing pressure on the sesamoid.  By undergoing the appropriate treatment soon after identifying his sesamoid injury, Kiedis should enjoy immense pain relief and regaining the ability to give high energy performances at his newly scheduled tour dates!

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Lewis Center. If you would like to see a podiatrist in Dublin, Ohio near Tuttle Crossing, call 614-885-3338 for an appointment.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia