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does anyone know some surgical and and or non-surgical procedures that podiatrists can do on the lower legs?
Lower leg problems that Podiatrists can treat
- Thread starter geronamo26
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DPMs can treat lower leg fractures, tendon tears, wounds, skin problems, tumors, nerve entrapments... pretty much anything below the knee (but blood vessel pathology would likely be referred or consulted since that's almost always a widespread systemic problem).
Are you asking about a specific leg condition or just gaining general info?
Are you asking about a specific leg condition or just gaining general info?
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Just gaining gen. info. I often see a lot of podiatrists comment on how they are experts in foot ankle and lower leg problems, but as far as surgery on the lower leg, there is almost no information available...
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It's all a matter of each DPM's training, patient needs, scope, and comfort zone.
There's a large number of bones and joints below the ankle, but there's obviously no joints and only two bones (tib and fib) between the ankle and knee. Therefore, most "surgery on the lower leg" would be skin and soft tissue surgery... lacerations, tumors, skin grafts, etc. As for tib and fib fractures above the ankle (pilon fracture, tibial shaft fracture, etc), those surgeries depend on state scope of practice for podiatric surgery... some DPMs in trauma and/or academic settings are trained for and routinely treat those fractures, but the vast majority would not be. Those cases are more routinely handled by orthopedic traumatologists.
If you think the foot + ankle is "limited," consider that DPMs diagnose/treat conditions related to all anatomic systems within that region... vascular, skeletal, muscular, nervous, dermatologic. A dermatologist treats "the whole body," but focuses just on skin/hair/nails. A vascular surgeon treats virtually head to toe, but it's basically vascular system only. Pulmonologist, nephrologist, obstetrician, optho, cardio, etc etc etc. Podiatrist scope and training is a bit different in that it's focused more on location region than anatomic system... there's plenty of variety and interesting pathology in the foot + ankle to keep you busy if that's your real question. Do some shadowing and have fun. GL
