The bone spur is caused by traction or pulling on the heel bone or calcaneus by tiny muscles on the bottom of the foot. Many people correlate “heel spurs” with plantar fasciitis. This is a false statement. The plantar fascia in actuality, inserts just lateral to the plantar heel spur. It is the small musculature that causes formation of the bone spur. The reason why the muscles do this is secondary to abnormal and uncontrolled foot mechanics.

Most patients have 1 – 1.5 inches of fat pad on the bottom of the heel that aids in cushioning and shock absorption for the calcaneus. In older patients who have experienced atrophy or thinning of the fat pad, the bone spur can be prominent and very painful.

Treatment includes cushioning of the infracalcaneal exostosis, wearing appropriate shoe gear to soften the impact of the heel with walking or running. Although not available in our office, some plastic surgeons and aestheticians are offering collagen injection therapy to the plantar aspect of the heel to aid in cushioning. It must be known that this is only a temporary solution and often requires multiple periodic injections.

For those patient who cannot find relief cushioning, padding or shoe therapy, surgery is a viable option. Surgery involves removing the plantar heel spur or infracalcaneal exostosis and making the bottom surface of the heel bone flat and smooth. A extended period of non-weightbearing is suggested due to possible risk of stress fracture with early walking following the surgery.

If you have a prominent heel spur on the bottom of the heel, please visit our office for a clinical evaluation. Call 972-542-2155 for an appointment today.

Traumatic Heel Pain

Neurologic Heel Pain

Mechanical Heel Pain

Advanced Foot & Ankle Center is now offering custom molded flip flops. They are called Flopthotics. Custom molded orthotics are great, however, wearing them in tennis shoes all summer can sometimes be a drag. Enjoy the comfort and support of a custom orthotic with style and breatheability of a flipflop.

The casting process involves making a cast of the foot using a foam impression. The foam impression is then sent to Barcelona, Spain to Edser Labs for manufacturing. There is a guaranteed 10 day turn- around time for the flip flops.

Advanced Foot & Ankle Center is now offering a package deal in which a patient can get a pair of regular custom orthotics that fit into normal shoegear (the cost depends on your insurance benefits) and for additional $150.00, the Flopthotics can be casted for as well.  If the regular custom molded orthotics are not purchased or not wanted and you only want the custom molded flipflops, the Flopthotics are $200.00. The Flopthotics are not a covered item through insurance. Take advantage of this wonderful deal  offered. This deal will last for 90 days starting 4/28/2011.

Enjoy the summer in a pair of custom molded flipflops. Visit edserlabs.com for more pictures and additional information regarding the Flopthotics.

Call 972-542-2155 to schedule an appointment today.  Advanced Foot & Ankle Center is located in McKinney, TX and Prosper, TX.

The five basic types of running shoes are as follows:

1. Motion control running shoes

2. Stability running shoes

3. Cushioned running shoes

4. Trail running shoes

5. Racing running shoes

The motion control, stability and cushioned running shoes are fitted according to the runner’s foot type; which is either pronated, overpronated or supinated. The trail and racing shoes are fitted according to the type of race or terrain the runner will be running on.

Motion Control Shoes

These shoes are designed primarily for runners who have low arches, who are moderate to severe over pronators, and runners who are heavier and need extra support.

These shoes are manufactured to prevent a runner’s foot from rolling inward too much (over-pronating). These shoes tend to be more rigid, heavier, have a wider outsole and have a high density sole (medial post) on the medial aspect of the shoe where the arch lies.

The medial post is a wedge of high density EVA material that is inserted into the sole of the shoe on the medial side. The EVA material resists compression which ultimately reduces the amount the foot rolls inward with each running stride.

Stability Shoes

These shoes are best for runners who have medium arches and for those who are mild to moderate pronators.

Stability shoes offer features found in both motion control and cushioning shoes, but to a lesser degree. The primary function of these shoes is to support the foot without interfering the foot’s natural pronation. These shoes have excellent arch support and midsole cushioning. These shoes are not as restrictive as motion control shoes. These shoes have tendency to e curved inward slightly. This shoe is the best for most runners.

Cushioned  Shoes

These shoes are best for runners who have high arches and for those runners who are supinators or under-pronators.

These shoes are designed to provide shock absorption and extra cushioning for people with high arches. These shoes are slightly curved in order to encourage pronation. These shoes are more flexible, have softer midsoles, and less medal support.

Trail Shoes

These shoes are best for off-road running, extra traction, durability, and for runners who need thicker more durable soles of the shoe.

These shoes are tough enough to withstand bad weather and rough terrain.

Racing Shoes

These shoes are best for runners who have no motion control problems and for those runners who need shoes for fast paced training or racing.

These shoes offer very little in terms of stability, cushioning or durability features. They are very lightweight. These shoes have a low heel and flexible forefoot. They are not recommended for runners with injures or pronating problems.

This information was excerpted from the Shoe Wearer’s Handbook by Clare Barron and Kent Basson, pages 46-49.

Hallux varus is a deformity that can occur one of two ways. The most common way of developing hallux varus is after having surgery, specifically a bunion surgery in which the deformity was over-corrected. The second way of getting hallux varus is that you were born with it.

Hallux varus occurs when the great toe is deviated medially or opposite direction of the 2nd digit. Hallux varus can be  a problems especially when wearing shoegear, as the great toe tends to rub against the shoe and create pain, blisters, or ulcerations. If the great toe joint is very unstable, the great toe may dislocate and cause severe pain.

Literature provides many options and methods on fixing hallux varus and my intentions are to inform you (in basic terms) how it can be fixed.

Conservative treatment includes using taping or strapping to hold the hallux in a stable position as it heals. Padding can be added to the inside of the shoe to prevent rubbing and discomfort. The patient must realize that the splinting of the toe in a corrected position, must be in place at all times.

If conservative treatment fails to correct the deformity, surgery can be performed. Depending on the severity of the deformity, the surgery is tailored to what is necessary to correct the deformity. If the deformity is mild, the soft tissue structures such as ligaments, tendons and joint capsule can be repaired. If the deformity s quite severe, then bone work must be performed. Bone work can consist of performing a reverse bunion procedure, using joint implants, and even joint fusion.

Please be aware that this deformity can be mild, moderate or severe. The treatment is geared toward doing the least invasive amount as possible to achieve the best results.

If you have hallux varus from an old botched bunion procedure, please come see us. Dr. Kory Williams and Dr. E. Silvers are well-versed in revisional and reconstructive repair of failed surgeries.

Please call 972-542-2155 for an appointment today.

Some people have growths on the bottom of their feet. They can range from moles to calluses or melanoma to warts. However, one particular skin lesion is often mistakened for some of the previously mentioned problems. Porokeratoses are hard, seed-like calluses. They are typically about the size of a sesame seed. Oftentimes, porokeratoses feel like a splinter in the foot. They usually develop on the bottom of the foot at the ball of the foot or the heel. Some people call them “seed corns”.

Many podiatrists feel that porokeratoses are sweat glands that are plugged up with callus tissue. There are approximately 300,000 sweat glands on the bottom of the feet, so there is a large opportunity for at least one of the sweat glands to become plugged off.

These lesions are not malignant or dangerous, but they should be examined by a professional to determine the correct diagnosis.

Some patients have several porokeratoses and others may have only 1 or 2. These lesions can become more painful when the person wears shoes with little or no padding or walk around barefoot. Also if the patient has very little fat pad on the bottom of the foot, they may experience quite a bit of pain.

At Advanced Foot & Ankle Center, the doctors will attempt to gently carve out the porokeratoma with a currette or a sharp instrument. Anesthesia is usually not needed.

Sometimes, the doctors will place a mild blistering agent on the lesion to cause exfoliation of the lesion and allow it to “pop out”.

If you have a porokeratoma, please come see Dr. Kory Williams or Dr. Eric Silvers at Advanced Foot & Ankle Center in either McKinney, TX or Prosper, TX.

Please call 972-542-2155 for an appointment today.

Hallux malleus is a deformity of the great toe. This deformity can be very stiff or flexible. The joint in the great toe  becomes contracted in a flexed or downward position. This deformity usually occurs due to an imbalance of the tendons that insert on the top and the bottom of the great toe. When the tendon on the bottom of the toe (the tendon that causes the toe to flex down) over powers the tendon that causes the toe to bend up, this deformity occurs.

Oftentimes, patients will develop a callus and even an ulcer on the tip of the great toe. This deformity is often seen in conjunction with hammertoes. High arched feet are typically the most affected by this deformity.

At Advanced Foot & Ankle Center, this deformity is treat initially with padding techniques to prevent sores from developing at the tip of the toe.  Custom, soft, accommodative orthoses are sometimes prescribed for the patient to provide cushioning and also to prevent worsening of the deformity.

If conservative treatment fails, surgery is indicated. Surgery usually consists of performing a bone fusion of the 2 bones in the great toe. This can be done with screws, staples, or wire fixation.

If you have a hallux malleus deformity, please come see Dr. Kory Williams or Dr. Eric Silvers at Advanced Foot and Ankle Center in McKinney, TX and Prosper, TX.

Call today to set up an appointment with the podiatrists – 972-542-2155.

Psoriasis is an systemic inflammatory disease that is caused by abnormalities in the immune system. In our practice, psoriasis commonly affects the patient’s bottom of the feet and manifests as a reddened-type rash with silvery scales or flakes of skin. The skin lesions are usually symmetrical. Psoriasis is commonly painful, itchy, inflamed, and can crack or fissure.

Psoriasis can also cause metabolic syndrome which causes patients to be more susceptible to diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity. Psoriasis patients are more prone to having heart attacks and depression as well.

Psoriasis is commonly misdiagnosed as chronic athlete’s foot. Patient are commonly prescribed antifungal creams medications that do not end up working.

Psoriasis affects the toenails. The toenails will sometimes have little pits or divots. Sometimes the nails with be rough like sandpaper instead of smooth. The nails can have a tendency to come off. The nails can also have a dirty, brown appearance as if the nail was dipped in crude oil. The nails are often misdiagnosed as having fungus.

The patient wil often have psoriasis in other places such as the knees, elbows, scalp and along creases in the skin folds such on the bottom or under the breasts. Oftentimes, the hands will manifest identically to the feet.

To diagnose psoriasis, a punch biopsy of the skin is most definitive. Once diagnosed, treatment can be started.

Treatments

Topicals

1. Topical corticosteroids – some topical steroids are very strong and some are not. Some stronger topical steroids are betamethasone, halobetasol, and clobetasol. These meds are typically only used for 1-2 weeks at the most. If they are used for a prolonged time period, it may cause the skin to become thin, develop stretch marks, and cause the skin healing to slow down. The lower dose topical steroids can be used for longer time frames.

2. Vitamin D Analogs – these medicines decrease inflammation and lessen the prominence of the skin lesions. Medications such as Dovonex and calcitriol are used twice daily. Taclonex is a combination of steroid with a vitamin D analog.

3. Topical calcineurin inhibitors – an ointment called Tacrolimus is usually combined with salicylic acid. This ointment locally affects the immune system to slow down the progression of the psoriatic lesions.

4. Keratolytics – skin creams with lactic acid, salicylic acid and urea are often used to decrease the amount of scaling and soften the hard skin.

5. Moisturizers – there is a large quantity of OTC and prescription moisturizers that can be used immediately after bathing to prevent recurrence of skin lesions and keep them at bay.

6. Topical retinoids – a medication called Tazarotene can be used once daily  to decrease inflammation and decrease the amount of skin cell development at the site of the psoriatic lesions.

7. Coal tar – can decrease inflammation and itching. The downside to this product is that it stinks, can stain the clothes and can cause sensitivity to sunshine.

8. Anthralin – research does not yet know how this product works

When a patient presents to my office for an initial visit and presents with psoriasis, I will use a combination of a few of the medications mentioned above.

If you have psoriasis and desire treatment, please come see Dr. Kory Williams and Dr. Silvers at Advanced Foot & Ankle Center in both McKInney, TX and Prosper, TX.

Call 972-542-2155 for an appointment today.