How does COVID-19 impact appointments?

During this time of public health concern, many orthopedic and sports medicine appointments may take place via telehealth wherever it's possible and appropriate. For all in-person visits, you can feel confident that our locations are safe. We've taken significant measures to minimize the risk of the spread of COVID-19 and worked tirelessly to ensure that our patients are protected. Visit our COVID-19 safety page for more information.

Have you had an injury or fracture to your ankle or foot? Are you experiencing pain, swelling or issues moving your ankles, feet or toes? Our experts can help. At The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, you’ll receive world-class comprehensive care from our orthopedic foot and ankle surgeons and sports medicine doctors. Our team helps patients with a wide range of conditions of the foot, ankle and lower leg. Some injuries may be treated with non-surgical options such as physical therapy, rest or bracing, while other issues may require surgery.

What we treat

Some of the common areas where we treat damage or injuries to the ankle and foot include:

Ligaments: ankle sprains and high ankle sprains
Joints: ankle arthritis or injuries to the cartilage inside the ankle
Tendons: Achilles tendon ruptures or chronic Achilles pain
Bones: broken bones in the foot and ankle, from complex trauma to simple fractures
Bunions: great toe deformities
Flat feet: collapse of the arch with painful deformity
High arch: painful deformities and diminished function
Sports injuries: sprains, strains or tears sustained by athletes of all levels
Chronic exertional compartment syndrome: when leg muscles swell and create pain and pressure, causing numbness in the foot, cutting off vascular supply and impeding movement
Revision surgery: when other surgeries have not helped your persistent pain and deformity. We’ll provide a fresh prospective and treatment options.

Common foot and ankle injuries

Achilles tendon tear

The Achilles tendon connects your heel bone to muscles in your calf. Every time you run and jump, you use this tendon. A tear can happen when you push off your feet, break into a run or make a stop-and-start move.

Symptoms include:

bruising or swelling around your foot or leg
feeling of being kicked or stabbed in the back of the ankle
difficulty walking or climbing stairs
inability to stand on your toes
sharp pain in your ankle or your leg

Stress fracture

Sports that involve a lot of running and jumping, like basketball, soccer and track and field result in overuse injuries of the leg, foot and ankle. This can often lead to a small crack in bones, especially the shinbone (tibia) and bones in the foot called the metatarsals.

Symptoms include:

pain that becomes more severe with activity and less severe with rest
pain and swelling when supporting weight
tenderness in the bone

How we diagnose foot and ankle conditions

You’ll see one of our board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic foot and ankle surgeons or an experienced advanced practice provider to begin the diagnostic process. This process includes a thorough history and physical exam and, if needed, diagnostic imaging such as an X-ray done in our facility during your appointment. Your provider may order additional testing, such as an MRI, CT scan, lab testing or ultrasound.

Your treatment is tailored to your condition. Our foot and ankle team works as a cohesive unit to help you from diagnosis to treatment and through recovery. Our therapy teams not only help with rehabilitation, but can provide a full gait analysis to evaluate those who want to improve their running form or posture.

A Closer Look at Sports-Related Foot and Ankle Injuries

Treating Ankle Arthritis

Dr. Adam Groth outlines the causes of, and options for treating ankle arthritis and how to determine what may be right for you.

Caring for a Sprained Ankle

Dr. Tim Miller discusses a typical approach to caring for a sprained ankle, a common injury that can range from a simple stretching injury to a complete tear of the ligaments.

Treating Ankle Sprains

Dr. Adam Groth explains the appropriate treatment to help expedite recovery of an ankle sprain.

Runners: Why your toenails fall off

Erik Monson, DPM, is a podiatrist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Here, Dr. Monson describes common cases he sees in runners, such as toenails falling off. It’s normal for these athletes, and there’s a reason it happens.

Meet orthopedic surgeon Kevin Martin, DO

Kevin Martin, DO, explains his approach to patient care as a foot and ankle surgeon at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Nonsurgical Treatments
Surgical Treatments
Why Ohio State?
Patient Success

Nonsurgical Treatments

Nonsurgical treatments

Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation
Sports Orthobiologics
Injection Therapy

Your physician may use musculoskeletal ultrasound to diagnose conditions such as an Achilles tendon tear. Musculoskeletal ultrasound improves accuracy when treating you with steroid injections in the office, and it is used for deeper joints, joints with poor anatomic landmarks and joints with little to no joint space. This technique uses sound waves to create images of the joint and to identify the needle used to inject the joint helping the physician guide it to the affected area. This technique is done in the office and does not expose you to any radiation.
Dry Needling or Intramuscular Manual Therapy
Dry needling is an alternative pain relief technique that physical therapists may administer for muscle pain. It involves the insertion of a small, solid filament into a stressed muscle’s site of spasm and pain, also known as a trigger point. By doing so, the muscle relaxes and blood flow increases into the area, alleviating pain and improving motion.

Trigger points are often the result of an injury to a different part of the body, because other muscles overcompensate for imbalances and weakness in the injured area. Because of this overcompensation, muscle spasm occurs, causing discomfort and pain in the muscle.
Once dry needling resets the tone of muscle, your physical therapist works on correcting strength and mobility deficits in the muscle, which allows healing and prevents injury.
- Results can be immediate or take up to 72 hours
- One to five treatments is the expected course
- Rehab exercises are part of the treatment
Lifestyle Modification

Surgical Treatments

Surgical treatments

Achilles Tendon Surgical Repair
There are two types of surgery for Achilles tendon tears. One involves reconnecting the tendon through an incision made in the back of your leg. The other involves sewing the tendon back together through various small incisions. A cast, walking boot or similar device is usually worn after surgery for about six to eight weeks. Full recovery can take up to six to nine months.

More than 80 percent of people who have Achilles tendon surgery are able to return to pre-injury activities, including sports. Factors like rehab and physical therapy can make a big difference in the speed and success of healing.

Achilles Tendon Tear Risks

It is possible for the Achilles tendon to re-tear, but the risk of re-injury is greater with nonsurgical treatment. It is also possible that the tendon will not be as strong as it once was. Risks associated with surgery include:
- Infection (a common risk associated with surgeries)
- Complications from anesthetic or other medicines (also a common risk associated with surgeries)
- Nerve injury (in the surgical area)
- Decreased range of motion
- Wound healing problems (a common risk associated with surgeries)

Why Ohio State?

Why choose The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center for treatment of sports-related ankle and foot injuries?

Diagnostic expertise: Our medical specialists published the first-ever system for diagnosing and classifying stress fractures that physicians at other institutions refer to.

Expert Care: Our surgeons have extensive experience repairing Achilles injuries. With in-depth focus on their area of specialty, our highly skilled surgeons offer comprehensive treatment that leads to better and faster results for you. We offer fellowship-level physician care and physical therapy, which means our providers have completed up to two years of intense, specialized experiential training in the field.

Experience: As the sideline care providers for more than 5,000 central Ohio competitors and performers, including Ohio State’s athletes and varsity teams, we have the experience to help maintain better health and athletic performance.

Patient Success

Korban's Story

Korban was a track and field athlete at The Ohio State University from 2010-2013, and currently competes professionally in long jump. Here he discusses his foot injury and his treatment at Ohio State Sports Medicine.

Our providers who treat foot and ankle sports injuries

Picking the best fitness watch for you

Fitness watches and trackers are extremely popular these days. They can be a fantastic motivator and good feedback device.

Is there benefit to physical therapy before surgery?

Pre-surgery physical therapy, also known as prehabilitation, is the introduction of physical therapy before an upcoming surgery or procedure.

What to know about training for a marathon

Although running a marathon or half marathon can be a daunting and sometimes painful endeavor, training for and running a race can offer a number of benefits for your body and mind.

Foot and Ankle Pain, Injuries and Treatments

Your feet and ankles move and flex in many ways, as the base of your ability to stand, walk or run; whichever your sport calls for, we can help.