HyProCure for Misaligned Feet
The Problem
Many musculoskeletal problems are caused or made worse by misaligned feet. This misalignment is the result of a common condition called talotarsal displacement.
Talotarsal displacement occurs when the ankle bone slides off the heel bone. When this happens, the ankle rolls inwards and causes the front of the foot to turn outward.
When talotarsal displacement is left untreated, it forces the body to compensate by putting excessive strain on the heels, ankles, knees, hips, and back. This causes a variety of additional symptoms, which eventually lead to more serious, secondary health conditions.
The Solution
HyProCure® is a titanium stent that is placed into a naturally occurring space between the ankle and heel bone through a small incision below the outer ankle bone. Once the stent is placed, it realigns the foot and restores the natural join motion.
Common Questions
What causes talotarsal displacement? It is most commonly caused by hereditary or genetic factors.
Is this procedure safe for a growing child? Yes. The bones around the naturally occurring space in the ankle will continue to grow around the stent.
Will it have to be replaced later on in life as my child develops? The short answer is no. The bones will continue to grow peripherally around HyProCure®.
Are there any limitations, as far as sports go, after this procedure? Once the tissues surrounding the stents are healed, patients should be able to participate in regular physical activities of their choice without limitation. For most patients, there is a significant improvement in walking, running, jumping, or any activity that involves propulsion from the foot.
What is the recovery time? Typically patients are walking normally within a few weeks. The bones, tendons, and ligaments throughout the foot and rest of the body will adapt to the corrected position over the following several months.
Quick Facts
FDA cleared since 2004, HyProCure® is an evidence-based procedure that has been used by foot & ankle surgeons in over 40 countries in thousands of pediatric and adults individuals of all activity levels.
HyProCure® is centrally placed into a naturally-occurring space in between the ankle and heel bones allowing for natural movement. Other similar devices are designed to block the joint which restricts natural movement.
Since HyProCure® is made of titanium, it won’t set of metal-detectors and recipients can still undergo MRI or CT scans.
Most patients are able to walk again within a few days after the procedure is performed. (Note that this depends on whether the HyProCure® procedure is the only one performed).
Minimal pressure is actually placed on the stent itself. Once HyProCure® is placed, the bones will realign and the majority of the body’s weight will be rebalanced on the bones surrounding it.
Though the cause for removal is rare (6% vs. Over 40% in other devices), the procedure is reversible.
Cautionary Signs
Some children may not be able to verbalize the symptoms they are experiencing, but parents can still spot signs of a problem. Check to see if your child exhibits any of the following behaviors.
- Child wants to be held and carried longer/more often than other children, especially when walking.
- Child avoids/resists normal physical activities, runs significantly slower and/or is less coordinated than other children.
- Child’s shoelaces come untied more than normal due to the foot rolling inward at the ankle.
- Child experiences growing pains at bedtime and/or wakes up shortly after falling asleep from pain in their legs.
- Child is unusually over-weight, typically due to a lack in activity level.
- Child has collapsed arches or “too many toes syndrome”.
Cause for Concern…
These may be signs of a serious, yet easily treatable condition. While some of these symptoms may appear to go away on their own, the underlying cause still exists. Over time, the symptoms resurface, manifesting as different, more severe, medical conditions.
The basis of these progressive problems cannot be outgrown or effectively treated with exercise or physical therapy. They are part of an anatomical, internal problem and are best treated by an internal solution.