The foot and ankle consist of many different bones, ligaments and tendons working together to enable balance and movement. Tendons are bands of tissue that attach the foot and ankle muscles to the bones.
The two tendons in the foot are called the peroneal tendons. One runs down the outside of the foot attaching to the fifth toe, and the other runs through the bottom of the foot attaching to the inside of the arch. The posterior tibial tendon attaches the calf muscle to the bones of the inside of the foot, helping to support the foot while walking. The Achilles tendon attaches the calf muscle to the heel. These tendons work together to stabilize the foot and ankle and are very important to our daily functioning.
When tendons become injured or torn, it can cause pain, swelling, weakness in the foot and ankle, and discomfort when standing, walking or playing sports.
Meet the team of experts who specialize in foot and ankle tendon injuries treatment
How to Diagnose Foot and Ankle Tendon Injuries
At Penn Orthopaedics, our foot and ankle specialists diagnose and treat all types of tendon injuries including:
- Acute tears: tears that occur suddenly, perhaps while playing a sport or during activity
- Tendinosis: tears that occur over time as a result of overuse, age or a degenerative condition
- Tendinitis: inflammation of the tendon that causes pain, redness and warmth to the touch
- Tendinopathy: the presence of both a tendon tear and tendinitis
Our orthopaedic specialists perform complete assessments of your foot and ankle to determine the type of tendon injury you have. If needed, a musculoskeletal ultrasound may be done to look closely at all the soft tissues in the foot and ankle, including nerves, tendons, muscles and ligaments.
Once we come up with an accurate diagnosis and can see exactly how and where your tendon is injured, we can develop a more personalized treatment plan.
Foot and Ankle Tendon Injuries Treatment Options
Penn orthopaedic specialists often try conservative treatments first to treat tendon injuries. Many people find that they get very good results and relief from pain with the following non-surgical treatments:
- Activity modification
- Anti-inflammatory medications
- Corticosteroid injection
- Custom bracing
- Custom orthotics (shoe inserts)
- Icing the area
- Physical therapy
Foot and Ankle Tendon Surgery
When non-surgical approaches are not effective, foot tendon surgery may be recommended to repair severe tears, damage and disease.
Our orthopaedic surgeons perform leading-edge techniques to surgically treat all types of tendon injuries. Our orthopaedic specialists are involved in advanced research for tendon reconstruction and repair that makes us experts in the latest treatment procedures.
Tendon repair surgery involves making a small incision in the area above the tendon. Using specialized surgical tools, surgeons will remove any damaged tissue. A tendon may be taken from another area of the body and grafted to the damaged tendon. This works to strengthen and repair the weak tendon.
In some cases, a tendon transfer will be performed. A tendon transfer involves removing tendon from another area of the body or from a cadaver to replace the damaged tendon.
Tendon Repair Surgery Recovery
After surgery, you will have a cast or boot to help protect the newly repaired tendons. Physical therapy is an important part of your recovery. Penn physical therapists create personalized recovery plans depending upon the severity of your condition.
Recovery is different for everyone, taking anywhere from several weeks to months. You should speak to your doctor about what recovery might mean for your particular tendon injury.