Posts for tag: crushed foot
Crush injuries to the foot can be very serious injuries.
Sometimes these injuries are medical emergencies.
There are serious long term side effects that can happen if these injuries are not treated quickly and correctly.
Crush injuries occur when the foot or leg becomes trapped under a heavy object.
The foot is made of different compartments which contain bones, muscles, tendons, nerves, and blood vessels. All of these structures are affected with crush injuries.
With a crush injury the pressure in these compartments can greatly increases. As a result, there is less blood flow in and out of the compartments. When the structures in compartments do not receive enough blood, there is the risk that they will start to die. This is called a compartment syndrome. Not all crush injuries get a compartment syndrome. But it is a serious complication
Symptoms of crush injuries and increased pressure in foot and leg compartments are extreme pain and swelling to the area. The skin might become numb and the muscles might be weak from the pressure. Your doctor may have to measure the pressure in the foot compartments to be sure of the diagnosis. There are special instruments that the doctor would use to do this.
Treatment of crush injuries involves immobilizing and protecting the injuried part. This is usually with a splint, cast or boot. Additional evaluation with a CT or MRI is often needed.
With a compartment syndrome, then releasing pressure in compartments, which is done with an operation, is necessary. The skin over the compartment is cut open and left open for several days, until the swelling goes down. Unhealthy tissue will be removed during surgery. If needed, skin grafts are used at a later date.
If there are broken bones, these are fixed during surgery. Your doctor might use screws, plates, or pins to hold the pieces of bone together. Using these will keep the bones in place and result in better healing.
With these injuries it is important to go to the emergency room or call us right away. A Podiatric Physician and surgeon needs to begin treatment as soon as possible for the best results.
Additional evaluation and treatment is sometimes needed after healing occurs. The goal is to protect to foot and have the foot function as well as possible.