Tag Archives: kids feet

Accessory Navicular

Summary

  • Accessory Navicular is a condition where the Navicular bone has developed in two pieces.
  • You have a painful lump on the inside of your foot, usually aggravated by shoes rubbing on it.
  • It can be difficult to walk far, or on uneven surfaces, and climbing stairs or ladders is a real pain.
  • Your ski boots or hiking boots are killing you.

How did I get this?

  • The accessory navicular is an extra bone in your foot, of which there can be many in addition to the 26 bones we usually expect to find there. It is thought to develop in teenage years as your skeleton hardens and finishes growing.
  • This can become painful due to irritation from footwear, unusually high levels of activity, or recent weight gain.

What can I do about it?

  • Wearing shoes that do not irritate the area is the first step. You can add padding around the area or inside your shoe. Reduce your activity so that the bone is not irritated. Lose weight to reduce the stress on the bone.

What help can I get for this?

  • A podiatrist can help with footwear advice or padding for the lump. You may also get some relief by using orthotics which are designed to reduce the stress on the bone.
  • A surgeon can remove the bone, but only after all other options have been tried. Surgery can take 9-12 months to recover fully.

When will it get better?

  • After pressure and stress are reduced on the bone you should start to feel relief quickly.
  • Continued use of appropriate footwear and padding or support should result in more prolonged improvement.

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Severs Disease

Summary

  • Severs Disease is a painful inflammation of the heel’s growth plate. It typically affects children between the ages of 8 to 14 years old, because the heel bone is not fully developed until at least age 14. When there is too much repetitive stress on the growth plate, inflammation can develop. Symptoms include pain in the back or bottom of the heel, limping, walking on toes, and difficulty running or jumping.

How did I get this?

  • Overuse and stress on the heel bone through participation in sports is a major cause. The heel’s growth plate is sensitive to repeated running and pounding on hard surfaces, resulting in muscle strain and inflamed tissue. For this reason, children and adolescents involved in soccer/football, running, or basketball are especially vulnerable.

What can I do about it?

  • Rest.
  • Ice pack application.
  • Calf and hamstring stretches.
  • See a podiatrist.

What help can I get for this?

  • Podiatrist will confirm the diagnosis and advise appropriate shoes, exercises, and orthotics.

When will it get better?

  • Use of orthotics and supportive footwear usually provide relief within a few weeks.
  • The condition is self-limiting. Once the growth plate has closed the condition will resolve.

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Peroneal Tendon Injury

Summary

  • The peroneal tendons are two tendons that lie immediately behind the outside bone of the ankle. These two tendons are responsible for moving the foot outwards. They balance the ankle and the back of the foot and prevent the foot from turning inwards repetitively. These tendons can be injured due to overuse or acute injury. In preoneal tendon injury there is pain behind the ankle, swelling over the tendons, and tenderness of the tendons.

How did I get this?

  • It usually occurs because these tendons are subject to excessive repetitive forces during standing, walking, and running. History of ankle injury (e.g. blow to the ankle or ankle sprain) which can displace the peroneal tendons. Certain foot shapes such as a higher arched foot predispose to the development of injury as well.

What can I do about it?

  • Rest is key, often helped by supportive footwear such as a hiking boot or jogger.
  • Applying ice to the area can help to reduce swelling and help to control pain.
  • Short term use of anti-inflammatories and can reduce the swelling around the tendon.
  • Seek podiatry consultation.

What help can I get for this?

  • Podiatrist for footwear modification, strapping, bracing, orthotics or other measures to reduce stress on the tendons and allow for rest and inflammation to subside.
  • Orthopaedic surgeon for possible surgical repair if there are large tendon tears.

When will it get better?

  • Minor cases of this condition that are identified and treated early can usually settle within a few weeks. Recovery after surgery involves several weeks of restricted weight-bearing and immobilization, depending on the type of surgery performed. Following immobilization, therapy can begin. Total time for recovery is usually 6-12 weeks, depending on the extent of surgery.
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Kohler’s Disease (Navicular Avascular Necrosis in Children)

Summary

  • Kohler’s disease is a rare condition in which the bone in the arch of the foot becomes inflamed. Kohler’s disease usually affects children between the ages of three and five. It occurs more commonly in boys than in girls, and is often unilateral, affecting one foot. Bone tissue deteriorates due to an interruption of blood supply leading the bone into breakage into tiny fragments before healing and hardening. As a result, foot becomes swollen and painful, and the arch of the foot is tender.

How did I get this?

  • What causes avascular necrosis of the navicular bone is unclear, but a delayed ossification or hardening of bone may be partially responsible.

What can I do about it?

  • Rest and avoid excessive weight bearing.
  • Short term non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g.ibuprofen) for pain control.

What help can I get for this?

  • Podiatrist may prescribe soft arch supports or medial heel wedge, and removable cam walker.

When will it get better?

  • Kohler’s disease is self-limiting, meaning that it usually resolves on its own, without any long-term consequences. In children who are treated with rest and support, and who avoid putting excessive weight on the affected foot, the disease rarely lasts more than two years. Almost all patients eventually recover excellent function.

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Ankle Sprain

 

Summary

  • An ankle sprain is a condition where there is partial or complete tear of the ligaments of the
    ankle due to sudden stretching. The pain is initially severe and can be associated with a
    “popping” sensation. Immediate swelling over the area of injury often occurs as the injured
    blood vessels leak fluid into the local tissue.

How did I get this?

  • This typically occurs when the ankle is suddenly “twisted” in a sports activity or by stepping off an uneven surface.

What can I do about it?

  • Ice packs.
  • Rest – Limiting the amount of walking and weight bearing on the injured ankle.
  • Elevate to reduce swelling.
  • Apply compression bandage.

What help can I get for this?

  • Seek the advice of a podiatrist for further assessment and strapping, bracing or immobilisation.
  • In case of severe injuries you may need immobilization in a cam walker.
  • Orthopedic surgery if there is complete tear.

When will it get better?

    • Recovery depends on the severity of the injury.
    • For minor injuries, people can usually return to normal activities within several days.
    • For very severe sprains it may take longer, possibly up to several weeks.

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