Midfoot arthritis is one of the most common causes of foot pain in middle age and elderly patients. The midfoot connects the heel to the front of the foot, and, unfortunately, midfoot arthritis is aggravated by standing and walking. The condition can be crippling for some.
Until recently, conservative care included orthotics, NSAIDs, weight loss, stretching exercises, modification of activities, and cortisone injections. Fusion of the affected joints was the only surgical option. Fusion procedures are involved surgeries that require multiple hours in the operating room, can be quite painful, and have a long post-op recovery of non-weightbearing while the bones heal.
PCI Podiatry and Foot Health surgeons are the only physicians in eastern Iowa performing Deep Peroneal Neurectomy, a new surgical treatment that can treat midfoot arthritis and put patients back on their feet.
When performing the Deep Peroneal Neurectomy technique, the surgeon makes an incision only in the nerves that connect to the affected joints, which stops the pain. It is a shorter procedure - less than an hour - and the patient is able to walk on the foot immediately after the procedure. He or she can usually return to shoes in 3 weeks.