Ski season is starting, and with it a familiar pattern: an ankle injury on the slopes is diagnosed as a sprain, the X-ray is normal, and six weeks later it still has not settled. One fracture in particular, a break of the lateral process of the talus known as “snowboarder’s ankle”, accounts for around 15%...
Author: mattwelckadmin (Matthew Welck)
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Big Toe Pain: Is It Gout or Arthritis?
A red, swollen, painful big toe joint is often assumed to be gout, but it is not always. In one primary care study, GPs diagnosed gout in 98% of people with an inflamed big toe joint, yet only 77% turned out to have it. A uric acid blood test cannot settle the question on its...
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Are High Heels Bad for Your Feet? What the Evidence Actually Says
Between now and the new year, many people will spend more time in heels than they have all year — and every January we see the results in clinic. The research on heels is clearer than for most shoe questions: a review of 18 studies linked them to bunions, aches and pains and injuries, but...
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Are Carbon Plate Running Shoes Bad for Your Feet?
Carbon-plated “super shoes” started out as elite racing shoes and are now a common sight at parkrun — and running patients often ask me whether the thing that made them faster could be what is making their foot hurt. The research shows the performance benefit is real and well measured, while the injury concern rests...
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Why Is My Foot and Ankle Pain Worse in Winter?
The clocks go back this weekend, and winter is coming. Every year at this point I start to see patients whose foot or ankle has been fine for months but has suddenly become harder to live with — and they nearly always ask whether it is the cold or whether something is getting worse. The...
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Weight-Loss Injections and Foot & Ankle Surgery: What You Need to Know in 2026
Many people now take a weight-loss or diabetes injection such as Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro, and two questions come up in clinic: will it help my foot, and do I need to stop it before my operation? The first studies looking at the foot and ankle, published in 2025 and 2026, are largely reassuring –...
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INFOGRAPHIC: Ankle replacement or fusion – which is best for me?
Ankle fusion and total ankle replacement are the two main operations for ankle arthritis that no longer settles with non-surgical treatment. Both can relieve pain well, and the better option depends on the individual: age and activity level, the health of the neighbouring joints, body weight, any deformity, the condition of the skin and circulation,...
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When Can I Drive After Foot and Ankle Surgery?
There is no set number of weeks in UK law before you can drive after foot or ankle surgery. What matters is whether you can control the car and do an emergency stop as quickly as normal. Braking studies show that after surgery on the right foot, most people can brake safely by 6 to...
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Fixing Lisfranc injuries – screws or tightropes?
When a Lisfranc injury in the middle of the foot needs surgery, the bones can be held in place with metal screws and plates, or with a TightRope – a strong braided cord with a small button at each end that works more like the original ligament. For injuries that affect only the ligament, current...
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Ankle Replacement in the UK: What the 2026 National Joint Registry Shows
The latest National Joint Registry report looks at nearly 13,000 ankle replacements carried out in England and Wales between 2010 and 2025. More are being done each year, the typical patient is around 69, and about 9 in 10 had not needed further surgery 10 years later. Younger patients, particularly younger women, are more likely...