BIPEDAL

Flat feet are common. And not all of them are painful. Some people are born with a flexible flatfoot and have no issues with common activities, while others were born with a normal arch but develop a flat foot over time. This is more likely related to posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, or PTTD. This condition can happen as a result of poor biomechanics, repetitive stress, age, weight, certain me...

The Achilles tendon is the combination of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles as they course down the leg and attach to the calcaneus. This large tendon is a powerful plantar flexor of the foot. The tendon is under a resting tension, ready to propel the foot forward when the brain sends it a signal. It is this resting tension that may become problematic. For example, part or a flatfoot condition...

Orthotics are a mainstay of treatment for many foot and ankle conditions. This is because so many conditions are a result of poor biomechanics. Pronation, a normal foot motion required for efficient gait, can be excessive in some individuals, leading to a variety of downstream problems. For example, excessive pronation leads to hypermobility, hypermobility leads to foot deformity such as bunion an...

Many patients present to my clinic complaining of bunion pain. These patients range in age from adolescents all the way to my geriatric population. There is no predilection for age, gender, body weight, race, or any other factor - yet they can be painful and are quite often progressive. The major factor playing a role in development is genetics. When coupled with biomechanics, bunion formation is...

Pronation is a complex triplanar motion: eversion of the heel, abduction of the foot, and dorsiflexion of the ankle. Supination is the reverse motions: inversion of the heel, adduction of the foot, and plantarflexion of the ankle. These motions occur at specific phases of gait, the cycle of taking a step.  Pronation is critical for proper shock absorption and adaptation to uneven terrain. Supinati...

Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common conditions I see in my clinic. Roughly 1 in 10 people will experience this in their lifetime, making it extraordinarily prevalent. There can be confusion as to how the condition evolves, but I will say it mainly has to do with form and function. By that I mean our feet were not designed for the surfaces we walk on each day. This can be corroborated by th...

Dr. Weinstein discusses the impetus for creation of a podcast that discusses all aspects of medical and surgical treatment of foot and ankle disorders.  Dr. Weinstein has been practicing foot and ankle surgery for over 20 years. In this time new formats for public education have emerged.  No single source exists where a comprehensive discussion of common pathologies and treatment algorithms are ex...