Foot and Ankle Injuries

Our board-certified specialists get you back in the game.

Don’t get sidelined by a foot or ankle injury. Whether you’re a serious athlete, a weekend warrior or someone who simply likes to stay active, pain doesn’t have to hold you back. The orthopedic and podiatric specialists at Henry Ford Health can get you back doing what you love.

Foot and ankle injury care: Why choose Henry Ford?

As a regional leader in foot and ankle care, people turn to us for both common and complex conditions. We offer:

• Innovative treatments: We offer the latest treatments at our clinics. Foot and ankle injections and minimally invasive procedures are just a few of the leading-edge therapies we offer.
• Complete care: Our foot and ankle specialists collaborate with physical therapists, sports medicine doctors and other providers within the Henry Ford network. You can get complete care from a single source. Find a location.
• Experienced team: Our team includes both orthopedic and podiatric specialists. Their combined experience means we can treat a wide range of sports injuries, degenerative conditions and problems affecting the muscles, bones and joints. Meet our foot and ankle team.

Foot and ankle injuries we treat

Foot and ankle injuries can happen suddenly, or they may develop over time. Both traumatic injuries and degenerative conditions need prompt care. Left untreated, simple injuries can become serious issues.

The foot and ankle injuries we treat include:

• Achilles tendon pain and ruptures (watch Dr. Erik Eller explain our Achilles rupture care)
• Broken toes and ankles
• Dislocations
• Foot injuries caused by a crushing accident or impact
• Plantar fasciitis
• Some wounds (for those related to diabetes, learn more about our diabetic foot care)
• Sports injuries
• Stress fractures

Foot and ankle injury treatment

Foot and ankle injuries require highly customized treatment. The specialists at Henry Ford take the time to design treatment plans suited to your unique needs. We discuss your activity level and your goals for recovery. We also explain all the available treatment options and work with you to choose the right therapy.

Our nonsurgical foot and ankle treatments include:

• Microdebridement, a way to clean a joint of damaged tissue
• Physical therapy
• Platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy
• Stem cell therapy
• Steroid injections

Surgery for foot and ankle injuries

Severe injuries or injuries that have progressed over time may require surgery. We typically don’t recommend surgery until you’ve tried a range of conservative treatments. At that point, our foot and ankle specialists work with you to determine the procedure that fits your needs.

We offer several effective surgeries for foot and ankle injuries:

• Revision surgery: This surgery corrects foot and ankle problems caused by improper healing after a previous surgery.
• Release surgery: Our surgeons may cut tight or shortened tendons and ligaments that are restricting joint movement and range of motion.
• Tendon repair surgery: We sometimes need to reattach ruptured Achilles tendons and other torn tendons.
• Tendon transfer surgery: We may need to remove severely damaged tendons and replace them with tendons from healthy parts of the foot or ankle.

Minimally invasive, arthroscopic surgery

Henry Ford’s foot and ankle surgeons offer minimally invasive surgery. This type of procedure is performed with a small video camera called an arthroscope. It allows the surgeon to see the injured area of the foot or ankle and operate without a large incision.

Arthroscopic surgery can result in a faster recovery and less scarring. Not everyone is a good candidate for a minimally invasive approach, however. Talk to your surgeon about whether this type of treatment is right for you.