Archive for lower extremity
Unstoppable: Flatfoot correction helps Jacob take control
The first time Dr. Susan Mahan examined Jacob’s feet, she pressed on a tender spot near one of his arches. “You see that?” Jacob’s mother, Lucie, remembers her saying. “That bone isn’t supposed to be there.” Jacob was 13 and had spent a frustrating year trying to figure out why basketball, his greatest source of ... Read More about Unstoppable: Flatfoot correction helps Jacob take control
Tagged: flatfoot, lower extremity, orthopedics
A heavy-medaled gymnast and his close call with leg-length discrepancy
Ask 15-year-old Kaleb what he likes about gymnastics and with a sly smile, he’ll say, “flipping around.” That’s Kaleb: understated, funny. But watch him in action, and you’ll see a focused gymnast who earned two medals in the 2024 Men’s Eastern National Championships. He probably won’t mention that two years ago, a surgeon told his ... Read More about A heavy-medaled gymnast and his close call with leg-length discrepancy
Novel procedure may bridge the treatment gap for symptomatic flexible flatfoot
Most children develop arches in their feet by early adolescence. About 20 percent, however, have pes planovalgus (PPV), also known as flexible flatfoot. Most children with PPV can participate in sports and other activities without issue, but others have ongoing pain in their feet that limit function and activities. Until recently in the U.S., children ... Read More about Novel procedure may bridge the treatment gap for symptomatic flexible flatfoot
Tagged: flatfoot, lower extremity, orthopedics, surgery
Innovative flatfoot surgery releases Quinn’s inner athlete
By the time he was 10, Quinn’s parents had tried almost everything. Dawn would sometimes massage his feet to relieve the pain and tightness caused by flexible flatfoot, a condition in which a child has very little or no arch in their feet. Joseph did physical therapy exercises with him at night. But despite their ... Read More about Innovative flatfoot surgery releases Quinn’s inner athlete
Tagged: flatfoot, lower extremity, orthopedics, surgery
One family, two very different clubfoot experiences
Theresah Boateng and her daughter Eno Agyapomaa Agyemang both have strong wills and outgoing personalities. Both were born with a foot deformity called clubfoot, and both received treatment at Boston Children’s Hospital. Yet their experiences differ in many ways. Theresah’s treatment started when she was 15 years old and lasted more than two years. Eno’s ... Read More about One family, two very different clubfoot experiences
A minimally invasive surgical option for children with flexible flatfoot
Most children with flexible flatfoot, a common condition in which arches do not develop in the feet, don’t need surgery, or any medical intervention at all. The few who do need surgery typically face a complicated procedure and a long recovery. Dr. Susan Mahan Children in many parts of Europe, however, have another option. A ... Read More about A minimally invasive surgical option for children with flexible flatfoot
Tagged: flatfoot, lower extremity, orthopedics, surgery
A new option for teens with painful bunions
Bunions, bumps at the base of the big toes, are probably not at the top of most kids’ list of concerns. Adults, particularly adult women, are far more likely to develop bunions, possibly after years of wearing tight shoes that squeeze their toes. In children and teens who have them, bunions are almost always an ... Read More about A new option for teens with painful bunions
Tagged: lower extremity, orthopedics, surgery
Generations of excellence in lower extremity care: Dr. Kasser and Dr. May
As an orthopedic surgeon and professor of surgery, Dr. James Kasser has spent several decades sharing his expertise in limb reconstruction with students of Harvard Medical School. Dr. Collin May was one of his students and later joined the surgical team in the Lower Extremity Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. He has spent the past ... Read More about Generations of excellence in lower extremity care: Dr. Kasser and Dr. May
Limb-lengthening surgery: A look at the pros and cons
Limb length discrepancies, a leg or arm that’s shorter than the other, can occur for a number of reasons. A child may be born with a condition that causes one limb to grow more slowly than the other. An arm or leg may stop growing after a complex fracture or a fracture that heals incorrectly. ... Read More about Limb-lengthening surgery: A look at the pros and cons
Clubfoot bracing for an active boy: Finn’s story
When Finn Beaulieu learned how to say elephant, he ran around the house repeating the word at least 20 times. When asked to rate his activity level, his mother Carolyn says, “He’s 2½, I would say his activity level is high.” Finn’s joy of movement can make it challenging for his parents to put him ... Read More about Clubfoot bracing for an active boy: Finn’s story
Tagged: clubfoot, lower extremity, orthopedics