We do all we can to avoid toxins from entering our bodies. We detox, wear natural makeup and we avoid products with harmful additives. So why are we compliant about possible heavy metal poisoning after elective foot surgery? The hardware placed in your bodies after some foot surgeries can lead to metallosis, which is a medical condition involving deposition and build-up of metal debris in the soft tissues of the body. Abrasion of the metal components of screws placed in your foot during a bunion repair may cause immune reactions within your body. Some of the symptoms of metallosis generally include pain around the site of the implant, rash or pseudotumors.

The SafetyFix System is the first FDA cleared device designed to allow for bunion fixation to occur and all metal hardware to be easily removed. The unique shape of the screw allows the realignment of the bunion correction while keeping the head of the screw just below the surface of the skin. When the bones heal, a small incision is made to remove the screw without having to cut through deep layers of previously healed soft tissue and bone. By removing the screw, the risk of short and long term complications and health problems from metal toxicity is greatly reduced because there is no metal or unnatural foreign material left inside your body.

Feel free to contact your local podiatry office to discuss having your bunion repairs with removable screws.

The temperatures are dropping! As temperatures fall and you need to venture outdoors or spend time outside, getting cold feet is a real concern! Extreme exposure of your feet to cold over a prolonged period of time can lead to a condition called frostbite. Frostbite is the destruction of tissue caused by below freezing temperatures. When skin is exposed to the cold, the blood vessels in our feet decrease in size in order to reduce heat loss and to keep our core body temperature regulated. With continued cold exposure, the blood vessel walls change and diverts blood which causes areas of tissues to become bypassed and devitalized.

Frostbite starts by producing pain and a burning sensation in exposed areas. This can then be followed by numbness and changes in skin color (from pale or red to blue, grey and even black!). Children, the elderly and diabetics are more prone to frostbite due to the size of their extremities and possibly poor circulation. In addition, individuals who work outdoors have a higher likelihood of getting frostbite due to their increased exposure to the elements.

If you think you have frostbite, please seek medical attention immediately! It may not just be cold feet!