Introduction to Charcot Foot Atrophy

If you suffer from a peripheral nervous problem, you are at heightened risk for charcot foot atrophy. This term is used to describe the inversion of the arch of the foot and other deformities that occur when foot bones have reduced blood supply. Although we at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry can help patients to manage it, the ideal is to prevent it.


Diabetes damages both blood vessels and nerves. When the foot bones are starved for blood, they become brittle, and when a person cannot feel their feet, they may not be aware of stress fractures or other injuries. Because they don’t feel injured, they may go without treatment, causing the bones to heal in a deformed manner or to continue collapsing. The inverse arch shape that characterizes advanced charcot atrophy develops over a long period.


Early-stage Charcot foot may not be detectible on x-rays, but heat and redness in the foot are warning signs of a bone infection. Patients are advised to keep their weight off a broken foot and are commonly provided with a cast or boot brace. Surgery may be necessary in cases of advanced deformity, and infections resulting from punctures in the skin sometimes require amputation. Patients can significantly reduce their risk of this by examining their feet every day and immediately seeking treatment for wounds and inflammation.


Dr. Frank Killian and Dr. Sameep Chandrani run Mercer-Ocean Podiatry. For the location at 2103 Whitehorse Mercerville Road, Hamilton Township, New Jersey, 08619, call 609-585-3200. For the location at 202 Rte 37 W, Suite 4, Toms River, New Jersey, 08755, call 732-557-4266. Visit New Jersey Foot.


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sever's Disease

Do you recall suffering frequent heel pain as a child? If you do, that’s not unusual; children’s bones haven’t fully fused together, and they are more vulnerable to overuse injuries than adults. However, nobody likes seeing their child in pain, and if a child frequently suffers from sore heels, there may be a biomechanical issue at play. At Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, we assist patients of all ages, so we thought it would be a good idea to explain Sever’s Disease, a common source of childhood foot problems, in more detail. Sever’s disease, or calcaneal apophysitis, is inflammation of the growth plate connecting the back of the heel bone to the bone’s main body. The back of the heel bone is where the Achilles tendon, one of the strongest tendons in the body, attaches. When the calf muscles or the tendon itself are tight, the tendon will pull the heel up and backwards, causing soreness in the soft growth plate. The calf muscles are likely to tighten up after a person has been running and jum
Read more

Clipping Toenails

Clipping your toenails correctly is the key to avoiding an ingrown nail. But many people are misinformed about this basic aspect of footcare, and during the summer, people are paying more attention to their bare feet and wondering how to trim their nails correctly. If you’re diabetic, this may be something that you’ll always need to be cautious about, but for most people at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry in northern New Jersey, the following advice will keep their toes safe and presentable. It’s a good idea to have separate clippers for the toenails and fingernails. Toenail clippers are a little larger, and using separate clippers will reduce the spread of bacteria. The toenails should be clean when they’re cut, but unless they’re extremely thick, they shouldn’t be wet. A wet nail is at greater risk of tearing. As you cut, go straight across, using a few small trims. You don’t want your nails to be rounded off, or they’ll be at greater risk of growing into the skin and causing a hangnail. Inst
Read more

Tendinosis

We frequently treat people with overuse injuries at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry. Most people know to beware of signs of tendinitis, but they may not know about tendinosis. The conditions are similar, but not identical, which is why we want to educate patients about tendinosis as part of our preventive care. The suffix “-itis” is used to describe inflammation. The word tendinosis describes what happens when the collagen fibers that make up a tendon wear away without an inflammatory response. As the tendon becomes more frayed, it becomes more difficult for the tendons to do their job, resulting in joint stiffness. It may also cause the tendon’s sheath to harden and for abnormal blood vessel growth. Tendinosis is often painful and feels like burning. When people suspect they are injured, they should rest, put a cold pack on the limb, compress it, and elevate it. But if pain persists for more than a day or two, they should get it examined. While it is possible to repair tendons surgically in the
Read more