According to a new study published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research, many common foot deformities, like bunions, hammertoes, and claw toes are inherited, especially in those who are of European descent.
"These new findings highlight the importance of furthering our understanding of what causes greater susceptibility to these foot conditions, as knowing more about the pathway may ultimately lead to early prevention or early treatment," said study researcher Dr. Marian Hannan, of Harvard Medical School and Hebrew SeniorLife, who is the editor in chief of the journal in a statement.
Recent studies show that more than one third of older adults have bunions. In this study, researchers looked at bunions, lesser toe deformities, and plantar soft tissue atrophy in 1,370 study participants, with an average age of 66, who were part of the Framingham Foot Study. Researchers found that 31 percent of the participants had bunions, 30 percent had lesser toe deformities, and 28 percent had plantar soft tissue atrophy.
They found that bunions and toe deformities were heritable, but plantar soft tissue atrophy was not.
A previous study by the Arthritis Care and Research showed that bunions were more common as people aged and that women were more likely than men to have bunions.
Australian researcher Neil J. Cronin recently published a study on how high heels alter the biomechanics of the foot, says that high-heel wears should avoid towering heels when selecting shoes.
Wear heels "once or twice a week," Cronin told the New York Times, "or try to remove the heels whenever possible, such as when you're sitting at your desk."
Reference: Huffington Post and New York Daily News
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
What Is Ollier's Disease?
Ollier's disease is a rare nonhereditary sporadic disorder that occurs in 1 in 100,000 people. It presents as
intraosseous benign cartilaginous tumors that develop close to growth plate cartilage. It is not clear if the disease is caused by a single gene defect or a combination of mutations, but the irregular distribution of tumors suggests that the disease is a result of mosaicism, or error in cell division that occurs before birth.
The disorder, named after French surgeon surgeon Louis Leopold Ollier, consists of numerous endochondromas which develop during childhood. The growth of these endochondromas usually stops after you have reached your full height, but the affected extremity is often shortened and bowed due to epiphyseal fusions. Those with Ollier's disease are prone to breaking bones, have enlarged toes, a bony mass on the toe, and complain of swollen, aching limbs. Ollier's disease typically affects just one side of the body and can transform into a malignant sarcoma. The hands and feet are most affected by Ollier's disease. Sometimes injury or trauma to the toe will result in the formation of the bony irregularity or prominence.
On an X-ray, streaks of low density will be seen on the long bones due to ectopic cartilage deposits. Over your lifetime, this cartilage will calcify in a snowflake pattern. Ollier's disease is often not diagnosed until the patient fractures a bone in their foot and the endochondromas appear on the X-rays.
Only when the tumors are aggressive and destroy bone tissue will they require further treatment. Pain when at rest is also a clue treatment is needed, as it is a sign of malignancy. Surgery can be done to remove the painful and problematic endocondromas. During surgery bone grafts are used to fill the cavity caused from removing the endochondroma.
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
The disorder, named after French surgeon surgeon Louis Leopold Ollier, consists of numerous endochondromas which develop during childhood. The growth of these endochondromas usually stops after you have reached your full height, but the affected extremity is often shortened and bowed due to epiphyseal fusions. Those with Ollier's disease are prone to breaking bones, have enlarged toes, a bony mass on the toe, and complain of swollen, aching limbs. Ollier's disease typically affects just one side of the body and can transform into a malignant sarcoma. The hands and feet are most affected by Ollier's disease. Sometimes injury or trauma to the toe will result in the formation of the bony irregularity or prominence.
On an X-ray, streaks of low density will be seen on the long bones due to ectopic cartilage deposits. Over your lifetime, this cartilage will calcify in a snowflake pattern. Ollier's disease is often not diagnosed until the patient fractures a bone in their foot and the endochondromas appear on the X-rays.
Only when the tumors are aggressive and destroy bone tissue will they require further treatment. Pain when at rest is also a clue treatment is needed, as it is a sign of malignancy. Surgery can be done to remove the painful and problematic endocondromas. During surgery bone grafts are used to fill the cavity caused from removing the endochondroma.
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.
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