Sprains, tendon tears, bunions, hammertoes, planter warts, joint pain — these are some of the common disorders of the lower extremities that concern orthopedic specialists on the medical staff at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. It is often said that when someone's feet or ankles hurt, the whole person suffers, so keeping these body parts in good working order it truly basic to good health.
Physicians on the medical staff contribute to that goal with many forms of foot and ankle care, including:
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Total Ankle Replacement Surgery: A surgical procedure whereby the natural ankle joint is replaced with a prosthetic made of metal alloys and high density plastic; ankle replacement is usually needed when arthritic damage causes chronic pain in the joint; replacement is an alternative to ankle fusion surgery, which limits mobility.
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Tendon Repair: Procedures that reattach, reconstruct or replace ankle tendons (e.g. the Achilles tendon) that have been injured; many of these operations at Texas Health Fort Worth can be accomplished arthroscopically to minimize incisions and speed recovery.
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Osteochondral Cartilage Transfer: A procedure that replaces damaged or diseased cartilage in a joint with some of the patient's own healthy cartilage; cartilage is the tissue that cushions joints and keeps bones from rubbing against each other and causing pain; in this surgery, plugs of underlying bone are harvested and transplanted along with the attached cartilage to encourage successful transfer; this operation can usually be done athroscopically.
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