People generally have a foot or ankle problem at some time in their life. So how do you know when to see a foot and ankle surgeon? Some reasons include an injury (sprain, break), a medical condition impacting the feet (diabetes, poor circulation), no longer functioning in routine activities, morning heel pain, or discomfort while standing.

Foot and ankle surgeons treat a variety of symptoms and conditions affecting the foot and ankle. To name a few, conditions include:

• Congenital disorders requiring reconstructive surgery (e.g. club foot, leg length discrepancy)
• Complex deformities (forefoot, hindfoot, ankle)
• Charcot neuroarthropathy
• Limb deformity
• Lower extremity trauma
• Sports injuries
• Flat feet
• Arched feet
• Fractures or breaks
• Tendon disorders

The foot has  a complex make-up consisting of 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, and 19 muscles and tendons. A foot and ankle surgeon has the in depth knowledge to diagnose and treat conditions of this complex part of the body to ensure you are receiving the best care possible for your foot and ankle conditions.

Raquel Sugino, Fellowship-Trained Foot and Ankle Surgeon