Foot and ankle surgery is a sub-specialty of orthopedics and podiatry related to the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of disturbances in the feet and ankles. The orthopedic surgeon is medically eligible, after going through four years of college, followed by 4 years of medical school to earn a M.D. followed by specialist training as residents in orthopedics, and only then did they specialize in foot and ankle surgery. Training for podiatric foot and ankle surgeons consists of four years of college, four years of podiatric medical school (D.P.M.), 3-4 years of surgical residency and an optional 1 year scholarship.
The difference between an orthopedic foot doctor and ankle foot and ankle surgeon is important: an orthopedic surgeon has a doctorate degree in Medicine or Osteopathic Medicine Medicine and a training that includes both orthopedic and optional residence 6 months for one year of specialized training courses in foot and foot surgery techniques ankle, while the Podiatric Medical Doctor training consists of a podiatric medical degree and residency training of three to four years exclusively for foot and ankle care and surgery, with additional 1 year additional scholarships in the leg and ankle, reconstruction, or rescue of patient's limbs diabetes.
In the UK much controversy exists on the range of podiatrists who practice surgery and the British Orthopedic Association, and the British Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society produce a position statement about the importance of ongoing training and regulation of podiatrists who practice podiatric foot surgery after certification and recommends that this must be of the same standard as medical trauma and orthopedic surgeons operating on the feet and ankles.
Video Foot and ankle surgery
Clinical sphere
Foot and ankle surgeons are trained to treat all disorders of the foot and ankle, both surgical and non-surgical. In addition, surgeons are also trained to understand the complex relationship between disorders and deformities of the feet, ankles, knees, hips, and spine. Therefore, the surgeon will usually see cases that vary from trauma (such as malleolar fractures, tibial fracture of the pilon, calcaneus fracture, navicular and midfoot injuries and metatarsal and phalangeal fractures.) Arthritis (especially surgical) treatment of the ankle joints and joints hindfoot (tarsals), midfoot (metatarsals) and forefoot (phalanges) also play a rather significant role. Congenital and acquired adult deformities, non-neuromuscular foot abnormalities, diabetic foot abnormalities, hallux valgus and some common foot and ankle conditions (such as clubfoot, flat feet, tarsal coalition, etc.) Patients may also be referred to a foot surgeon and ankles for proper diagnosis and treatment of heel pain (such as consequences of plantar heel fasciitis), neurological disorders (such as tarsal tunnel syndrome) and tumors of the feet and ankles. Amputation and ankle arthroscopy (laparoscopic use in foot and ankle surgical procedures) has emerged as a prominent tool in the treatment of the feet and ankles. In addition, more applications for laser surgery are found in the treatment of foot and ankle disorders, including treatment for bunions and soft-tissue lesions. A patient may also be referred to a leg and ankle surgeon for surgical treatment of nail problems and phalangeal deformality (such as bunions and buniettes.)
Maps Foot and ankle surgery
Non-surgical treatment
Most foot and ankle conditions do not require surgical intervention. For example, some phalangeal conditions can be traced to the type of toe box used in shoes, and a change of shoe or shoebox may be enough to treat the condition. For inflammatory processes such as rheumatoid arthritis, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDS) can be used to manage or slow down the process. Orthotics, or devices used externally used to modify the structural or functional characteristics of the special neuromusculoskeletal system for the feet and ankles, can be used as inserts into the shoe to move the foot area for a more balanced, comfortable or therapeutic placement on the foot.. Physical therapy can also be used to relieve symptoms, strengthen muscles such as the gastrocnemius muscle (which in turn attracts the heel, which will then attract the plantar fascia, thus altering the structure and shape of the foot).
Surgical treatment
Surgery is considered to be the last resort when a more conservative approach fails to reduce symptoms. Techniques such as bunionectomies can be used for surgery to remove bunion and deformities of the feet and other ankles, arthrodesis (or joint space fusion) for inflammatory processes, and surgical reconstruction (ie invasive action of neuromusculoskeletal structural manipulation) to treat other deformalities. Orthotics, physical therapy, NSAIDs, DMARD and shoe changes can act as a complement to surgical intervention, and in many cases will be required for optimal recovery.
Publications
The last 50 years have shown high quality research into the etiology and management of foot and ankle deformities. Several publications have been made to act as forums for such research:
- Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association - a medical journal indexed by peer review
- The Journal of Foot & amp; Ankle Surgery - surgical journals operated by the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons
- Foot and Ankle International - surgical journals operated by the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS).
- Techniques in Feet & amp; Ankle Surgery
- The Foot & amp; Ankle Journal - the first open access journal for podiatry and foot & amp; Orthopedic ankle.
See also
- American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons
- Podiatry
- The American Podiatric Medical Association
- Foot Surgery and American Foot Wrist
- Total Foot Replacement
- Total Ankle Institute
References
- Legs and Ankles: Core Knowledge in Orthopedics. 2007 Elsevier Mosby
- Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Rheumatology, 2nd Edition. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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