Finding a Foot and Ankle Specialist
Your feet are stronger than you think; the average person walks about 110,000 miles during a lifetime. It’s not surprising that most active adults will experience foot or ankle pain or injury as a result of frequent impact from walking and running. The good news is that feet and ankles tend to heal well, and the specialists at the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin know how best to promote healing.
The human foot is complex. Its strength and flexibility come from an intricate structure of 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 ligaments and muscles. The foot connects to the ankle at the talocrural joint (ankle joint). This joint is formed where your leg’s tibia bone meets your ankle’s talus bone. Your ankle should remain stable as long as its central talus bone is fixed during foot and ankle movement and activity. Ligaments play a key role in providing stability. When these ligaments are stretched or strained, a painful strain will result.
The most common ankle fracture occurs in the fibula, which is the outer bone. Sometimes, however, both the fibula and tibia break. Breaking both bones can cause significant instability and can even cause the ankle joint to dislocate. The surgeons at the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin specialize in repairing complex fractures of the ankle when needed.