About foot and ankle care
Our foot and ankle units combine a highly-skilled team of orthopaedic surgeons, with state-of-the-art technology such as standing CT scanning, to offer first-class diagnosis and treatment to patients with foot and ankle problems. For children and young people with congenital defects including club foot, flat feet and intoeing, our HCA UK paediatric physiotherapists offer corrective procedures such as the highly specialised Ponseti treatment.
We treat all patients with the highest quality of care, from elite athletes seeking peak performance, executives trying to get back to work and those who desire greater mobility in their day-to-day lives.
Whether you have a problem bunion restricting your ability to walk, an unstable ankle preventing a return to sport or a painful arthritic joint affecting your quality of life, we’ll guide you step-by-step through the process of diagnosis, treatment options and aftercare.
Our multidisciplinary teams include leading consultant radiologists, senior radiographers and expert nursing and physiotherapy teams who are experienced in managing the latest treatment options in foot and ankle care. They are able to perform anything from minimally-invasive surgical procedures through to complex reconstruction and tendon repair and transfer techniques.
Our expert foot and ankle consultants
Our foot and ankle care
Whether you're experiencing pain in your ankle, or specific problems such as painful arthritis in your foot, our world-class consultants can help diagnose and treat a wide range foot and ankle conditions.
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Achilles tendon repair
Need to know
The achilles tendon connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. A rupture occurs when there is a tear or separation of the tendon fibres. It is relatively common and can be serious. Your consultant may suggest surgery if the tendon ends are not in contact or if your function is likely to be affected...
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Heel pain
Need to know
Heel pain can be plantar fasciitis or achilles tendinitis. The heel absorbs a tremendous amount of shock from walking, running, or standing still for long periods. As such, damage can occur to the large ligament that stretches from the heel bone to the ball of the foot. This ligament, known as the plantar...
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Flat feet surgery
Need to know
Flat feet are feet with low or no foot arches. They can cause pain in the feet, ankles and other areas. They can also lead to feet rolling inward too much (overpronation), which can result in injuries and shoes wearing out. Most babies and toddlers have flat feet resulting from a combination of increased...
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Tendon transfer surgery
Need to know
A tendon transfer is a surgical procedure where a healthy tendon is taken and moved to replace the function of a diseased or inactive tendon. A tendon transfer restores the movement or action to a previously paralysed or diseased muscle and joint.
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Ankle arthroscopy
Need to know
Ankle arthroscopy is a keyhole procedure that allows your consultant to see inside your joints. Your consultant uses a small surgical camera (arthroscope) inserted through tiny cuts in your ankle. An arthroscopy is used to diagnose and treat a range of joint problems — from ligament damage to arthritis...
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Ankle fusion
Need to know
Ankle fusion surgery is a procedure to relieve ankle pain caused by severe arthritis. It is typically considered when other treatment options have proved unsuccessful. During the surgery, two or more bones in the ankle are fastened together with metal plates and screws. As the bones heal they fuse...
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Bunions
Need to know
A bunion is a deformity of the big toe. The tip of the big toe tilts towards the smaller toes and a bony lump appears on the inside of the foot and can rub on shoes and become swollen and inflamed. The first metatarsal bone twists and the two pea shaped bones beneath it, called the sesamoids, stop gliding...
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Ankle lateral ligament reconstruction
Need to know
If you have ankle instability, your consultant may recommend lateral ligament reconstruction surgery. Here, the weakened ligaments on either side of the ankle are renewed to better support the ankle and increase mobility. This procedure is used to strengthen sprained ankles where the ligaments have...
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Ankle replacement surgery
Need to know
Ankle replacement surgery is a treatment to relieve the pain caused by ankle arthritis. Your consultant may recommend ankle replacement surgery if your symptoms have not responded to other treatments. During the surgery, your surgeon will remove the ends of the damaged bones and fit a plastic-and-metal...
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Big toe arthritis surgery
Need to know
Big toe fusion surgery is almost always carried out on people who have severe arthritis in the joint of their big toe. It can be an effective way of easing arthritic pain. It won't necessarily restore full flexibility to your toe but walking should be much easier and more comfortable.
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Cheilectomy
Need to know
A cheilectomy is surgery to remove a bony lump on the top of the main joint of the big toe. This lump is usually caused by arthritis. A cheilectomy is recommended if you have a bony lump that is painfully pressing on your shoe, or as a treatment for early arthritis of the big toe, when the joint...
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Foot drop surgery
Need to know
Foot drop happens when the muscles and tendons that pull the foot upwards stop working. This could be for a number of reasons, including nerve injury or disease (neuropathy) and after stroke. Surgery may involve transferring a working muscle and tendon to replace the ones that are not working.
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Tendon repair surgery
Need to know
Tendon injuries are relatively common and rarely serious, they can be torn, or ruptured. Your consultant may suggest surgery if other types of treatment, such as physiotherapy, haven't worked or if you've torn your tendon badly. Surgery can be carried out on any tendon but it's usually done on shoulders...
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Fracture
Need to know
A fracture (or broken bone) refers to a loss in the continuity of a bone. They are normally caused by a high-force impact, stress (over a period of time) or as a result of another bone-weakening condition, such as osteogenesis imperfecta, osteoporosis or bone cancer. If you've suffered a bone fracture,...
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Osteoarthritis
Need to know
Over the years, wear and tear affects cartilage in the joints, causing pain, weakness and stiffness. This is known as osteoarthritis (OA). It can affect any joint but is most common in the knees, hip, and spine. It is a degenerative condition and often starts in people over 50-years-old but can affect...
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PRP injections
Need to know
Stem cells and platelets are naturally occurring substances found in blood, and they can be injected into the body to help promote the recovery of injured muscles, tendons, joints and ligaments. They are referred to as platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections. The substances are injected into injured tissue...
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Achilles tendinopathy
Need to know
The Achilles tendon is one of the largest tendons in the body located between the foot and ankle, connecting your calf muscles to your heel bone. The Achilles is needed to stand on tip toes and is essential for walking, jogging and running. Tendinopathy is a condition which causes swelling and pain in...
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Achilles tendon rupture
Need to know
Your Achilles tendon connects your heel bone to your calf muscles. A complete tear across the tendon is called a rupture. It can often happen during sport or exercise that involves pushing off the ground sharply, like basketball, gymnastics, tennis, squash or badminton, especially in less conditioned...
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Ankle arthritis
Need to know
In ankle arthritis also referred to as osteoarthritis, the shock absorbing cartilage of the joint is worn, causing pain, stiffness and a lack of mobility. In the ankle most arthritis cases follow trauma such as an ankle fractures or severe ankle sprains. It can also be caused by rheumatoid arthritis,...
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Ankle sprains
Need to know
The ankle joint is strengthened by ligaments on the inside and outside part of the ankle, as well as an arrangement of ligaments that bond together the fibula and tibia bones. These ligaments and the soft tissues surrounding them can be stretched or even torn if you roll or severely twist the ankle,...
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Big toe arthritis
Need to know
Big toe arthritis is usually the result of a previous injury, such as breaking a toe. It can also be the result of overuse — repetitive bending and stooping, for example. It tends to affect people over 50, but can occur in younger people. It can cause the big toe to become stiffened, swollen and...
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Ingrown toenail
Need to know
An ingrown toenail happens when the side of a toenail grows into the skin surrounding it, leaving it red and swollen. Ingrown toenails can happen for a number of reasons, from wearing tight shoes to sweaty feet as well as poor nail cutting techniques. If your symptoms don't improve, following simple...
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Ligament injuries
Need to know
Ligaments are tough, flexible tissues which connect one bone to another bone and hold them in place. When too much force is applied to a ligament, it can become injured or torn. This makes the joint unstable.
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Lisfranc injuries
Need to know
A Lisfranc injury occurs in the middle part of your foot. This can include ligament damage or breaking the metatarsal bones. Due to the complex nature of this injury, the recovery process can be a gradual one. Our foot and ankle specialists can help your rehabilitation with a range of treatment options.
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Metatarsalgia
Need to know
Metatarsalgia is a condition that refers to pain in the ball of your foot. This is a common condition and causes pain often when wearing shoes but sometimes only when barefoot. Metatarsalgia is a symptom and not a diagnosis, so your specialist will need to assess you to identify the cause before a treatment...
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Mortons neuroma
Need to know
Morton’s neuroma is a foot condition which can cause severe pain as the nerves between your toes become irritated and thickened. Middle-aged women can be particularly affected as a result of wearing high-heeled shoes. Runners are also prone to this injury. Our orthopaedic foot and ankle consultants can...
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Mortons neuroma surgery
Need to know
Morton’s neuroma is a foot condition affecting one of the nerves between the toes. Continued pressure on the nerve can make it become inflamed and enlarged, causing pain and numbness. In cases where it doesn’t settle, surgery is recommended.
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Peroneal tendon surgery
Need to know
Peroneal tendons in your lower legs keep your ankles steady while you run, walk and play sport. Sometimes, they can rupture and tear because of injury or gradually over time. When this happens, our orthopaedic surgeons can carry out peroneal tendon surgery.
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Shin splints
Need to know
Shin splints is the name given to pain in your shins, or the front of your lower legs. It's a fairly common condition, and usually not serious. It's thought to result from the inflammation of tissue around the shin bone. You may experience this after too much exercise, running, playing high-impact sports...
Foot and ankle locations in London
We offer fast diagnosis and the most advanced medical and surgical treatments at state-of-the-art foot and ankle units across the UK.
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The Wellington Hospital Elstree Waterfront
The Waterfront Business Park
Beaufort House, Elstree Road
Elstree WD6 3BS
Private Foot and Ankle care in Birmingham
Book a foot and ankle appointment
We're happy to help you make an appointment with one of our experienced foot and ankle consultants. We can also make imaging and outpatient physiotherapy appointments for you.
Call us today
020 7079 4344