Three bones meet to form your knee joint, thighbone (femur), shinbone (tibia) and kneecap (patella). The kneecap sits in front of the joint to provide some protection. Bones are connected to other bones by ligaments. There are four primary ligaments in your knee, acting like strong ropes to hold the bones together and keep […]
A bursa is a thin, fluid-filled sac that cushions and lubricates between bone and surrounding soft tissue, such as skin, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. It’s like a tiny water balloon with only a few drops of fluid wedged between two surfaces. An adult body contains about 160 bursae with 11 around the knee joint. […]
What is hammer toe? A hammer toe is a deformity of the second, third or fourth toes. The toe is bent at the middle joint so that it resembles a hammer. If you have a hammer toe, the symptoms are visible with the hammer-like curling toe. Other symptoms include: Pain in the affected […]
The ACL is one of the most commonly injured ligaments in the knee. The incidence of ACL injuries is currently estimated at 250,000 to 300,000 annually with 100,000 ACL reconstructions performed each year. The incidence of ACL injury is higher in people who participate in high-risk sports, such as basketball, football, skiing, soccer, […]
Strengthening the muscles that support your knee keeps knees healthy, reduces stress on the knee joint and helps to prevent injury. Strong quadriceps muscles in the front of the thigh and hamstring muscles in the back of the thigh enable the knee joint to bend, straighten and absorb shock. Strengthening exercises strengthen the muscles to […]
DOC’s orthopedic surgeon will be specifically concerned with the location of the knee pain. If the pain is located almost entirely on either the inside portion or outside portion of the knee, then the guest patient may be a candidate for a partial or unicompartmental knee replacement. If the pain is throughout the entire knee […]
If common activities like walking and getting in and out of a chair become difficult and painful and medications, changes in everyday activities, and walking supports do not relieve the symptoms, hip replacement surgery may be the next step. The Anatomy of the Hip The hip, a ball-and-socket joint, is one of the body’s […]
Gout is a disorder that causes sudden attacks of intense pain, swelling and redness in the joints or soft tissues. In many cases, the first attacks occur in the joints of the big toe, but gout can affect many other joints. It is a type of inflammatory arthritis. Gout affects approximately 2 out of 100 people in the United States.
The midfoot joint complex is also called the Lisfranc joint. It is named after French surgeon Jacques Lisfranc de St. Martin, who served as a surgeon in the Napoleonic army in the 1800s on the Russian front. He became well known for his proficiency in foot surgery.
An average, healthy person should try to take 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, adding up to about 115,000 miles in a lifetime. By age 70, the person will have walked the equivalent of 4 times around the globe. Unfortunately, many miles are walked in uncomfortable shoes that do not fit properly and cause pain and foot problems.
Bunions are a deformity of the MTP joint at the base of the big toe. A bunion develops when the first metatarsal bone of the foot turns outward and the big toe points inward.
The plantar fascia is a long, thin ligament that lies beneath the skin on the bottom of the foot, connecting the heel to the front of the foot and supports the arch. The plantar fascia absorbs the high stresses placed on feet. Plantar fasciitis occurs when this strong band of tissue becomes irritated and inflamed, which results in heel pain and stiffness.
An ankle sprain occurs when the strong ligaments that support the ankle are injured. Ligaments are strong, fibrous tissues that connect bones to other bones. The ligaments in the ankle help to keep the bones in proper position and stabilize the joint. It is important to see an orthopedic specialist if the ankle is […]
