Orthopedic Specialties: Foot & Ankle

Foot and ankle anatomy

Foot and Ankle Anatomy

Overview

With 28 bones and 33 joints each, our feet are some of the most complex elements of our musculoskeletal system. The ankle has three bones that create the up-and-down and side-to-side movement of the feet, and its muscles, tendons, and ligaments allow for the complex movements needed for balance. Injury, congenital abnormalities, infection, arthritis, and even improper footwear can cause complex foot and ankle pain that is debilitating for everyday life. Our foot and ankle specialists work to restore or improve function and stability through a variety of treatments, including medication, immobilization, physical therapy, and surgical intervention.

Our Approach

Our foot and ankle team believes that understanding your unique symptoms and lifestyle goals is crucial to creating a successful treatment plan that meets your needs. This individualized care enables our specialists to focus on getting you moving again, so you can return to what matters most.

We believe in a conservative, comprehensive approach to treatment, utilizing minimally invasive measures whenever possible to help restore function and mobility to patients. In cases that require surgical intervention, we offer education and guidance to patients to help them make informed decisions about what’s best for them. Through this collaboration, we can help you get back to your life.

Leadership in Innovation

We believe the marriage of technology and medicine leads to safer, more effective treatment for healthier, happier patients. As a leader in emerging orthopedic technology, Ortho Rhode Island is pioneering state-of-the-art orthopedic tools and techniques:

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections  •  BioCartilage Procedures  •  Internal Brace Procedures

Foot & Ankle Specialists
Related Blog Posts

September 21, 2022/ Ankle & Foot / Dr. Tony Mechrefe       

Flatfoot Deformities

Flatfoot deformities can be very complex to understand, but I am going to break it down and simplify the problem. Flatfeet can first be divided into painful and non-painful flatfeet. If you have a flatfoot and there.....

Continue Reading

June 28, 2022/ Ankle & Foot / Arlene Kavanagh

Tailor’s Bunion

Typically, the malalignment of the joint itself causes pain with motion as the bones are, literally, at odds with one another. Treatment can be conservative which includes over-the-counter remedies such as pads. These do not correct the malaligned joint. They only help....

Continue Reading

May 25, 2022/ Ankle & Foot / Jason Tartaglione

Foot and Ankle Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS)

Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) has become popular in all surgical fields and has had a positive impact on the field of orthopedic surgery for both surgeons and patients alike. This concept and movement within medicine focuses on performing surgeries with equally or improved outcomes while minimizing soft tissue dissection and surgical exposure. Orthopedic surgeons have been developing MIS techniques for surgeries related to the upper and lower extremities as well as the spine.

Continue Reading

December 22, 2021/ Ankle & Foot / Dr. George Moniz

Heel Pain In the Active Adolescent

Is your active adolescents complaining of heel pain during and especially after their sport's team practices? Heel pain in young adolescents, or better known as Calcaneal Apophysitis or Sever's Disease, is a condition we frequently encounter...

Continue Reading

May 20, 2021/ Ankle & Foot / Dr. Eric Buchbaum

Quarantine Feet

Though many of us were taught that shoes bring dirt into the home, wearing supportive footwear indoors may help to avoid “quarantine feet”. I often recommend Oofos or Birkenstocks to wear in the home to help alleviate the stresses that excessive barefoot can bring if regular shoes are not being used. Additionally, there has been a rise in toe fractures from lack of shoe wearing in the home. Rooms have been rearranged for zoom meeting, computer cords are snaked around the floor, and juggling work and home in the same location can lead to a less attentive state precipitating trauma. The old saying that

Continue Reading

April 15, 2021/ Ankle & Foot Sports Medicine / Ryan O'Kelly

High Ankle Sprain

As the upcoming 2021 NFL draft approaches and the excitement for the NFL season begins, I would like to take a minute to discuss a common injury sustained by NFL athletes, the “High Ankle Sprain”. This past football season Christian McCaffrey, a running back for the Carolina Panthers, sustained a high ankle sprain early last year devastating fantasy football owners. A high ankle sprain is also known...

Continue Reading

March 10, 2021/ Ankle & Foot / Dr. Tony Mechrefe       

The Mighty Achilles

One of the most common reasons for patients to present to my office is for Achilles tendon problems. The Achilles tendon is the strongest tendon in the human body, capable of propelling the human body into running, jumping and explosive activities that are often capable of handling three to four times body weight. As such, the Achilles tendon is under a tremendous amount of stress and is able to handle this often without much issue. However, Achilles problems can be incredibly disabling, and range from simple Achilles’ tendonitis to Achilles tendinopathy and ultimately Achilles’ tendon ruptures. The reason the Achilles is susceptible to these problems is secondary to overuse, genetics, and anatomy. The anatomy of the Achilles is such that its muscular origin lies in both the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles.....

Continue Reading

February 9, 2021/ Ankle & Foot / Dr. David Caldarella

Ankle Sprains and Chronic Instability: What it is and How we treat it…..

Have you ever experienced a bad ankle sprain? Does your ankle always seem to easily roll over or just feel weak or painful ? Do you feel you can’t trust your ankle in certain activities you used to enjoy? Well you’re not alone. It’s a pretty common problem in adolescents and adults. Here’s a few statistics on ankle sprains…… Ankle sprains are in fact the...

Continue Reading

December 16, 2020/ Ankle & Foot / Arlene Kavanagh

Big toe. Big problems.

The big toe, or hallux, can have several pain generators. The pain can vary from annoying to debilitating. The first metatarsal phalangeal (MTP) joint is where the long bone (metatarsal) of the foot meets the big toe. This joint can have multiple issues. Some of the common ones are listed below.

Continue Reading