Complex Injuries of the Foot and Ankle in Sport

The field of sports medicine continues to grow and be popular. The specialty area of sports foot and ankle is particularly exciting. Foot and ankle injury rates continue to be reported at an increasing rate in sports especially in the NFL. Great toe injuries and Lis franc midfoot ruptures can be career ending injuries. Achilles tendon overuse injuries as well as ruptures and peroneal tendon dislocations and tears continue to plague the clinicians and athletes alike. Plantar fasciitis is almost epidemic in the NBA and ankle fractures in the athlete are common but poorly described in the literature. Equally enigmatic are the navicular stress fracture and the Jones fracture of the 5th metatarsal. We hope this issue of Foot and Ankle Clinics will help readers and clinicians diagnose, treat and rehab the athlete with foot and ankle injuries. We have asked our distinguished foot and ankle trained specialists to discuss these areas in the more complicated cases. For instance, a great article has been written about ankle sprains in the athletes but how do we treat effectively the athlete with chronic lateral instability who is large framed (>250#) or has come inherent ligamentous laxity or who has a varus hindfoot or has failed a prior lateral ligamentous reconstruction? Also, what is the best treatment for the difficult problem of syndesmosis injury in the athlete, both acute and chronic. All this and more will be right at your fingertips in this highlight of the complicated foot and ankle problems in the athlete. Enjoy and be up to date!