In the last few months, I have had two patients with symptomatic foreign objects located deep to skin. These objects cannot be seen or palpated through the skin.
It is vitally important to keep plantar skin incisions to a minimum to reduce the risk of creating a plantar scar. Due to weight-bearing forces, the foreign object can move during walking.
This can then lead to a problem during the surgical excision of these objects as the incision may need to be made larger to look for the tiny object.
The use of ultrasound in the operating theatre has markedly improved the ability to accurately plan the placement of the incision and hence find the object.
As can be seen from the image below, the objects are often only millimetres in size. Just prior to scrubbing the foot, the location can be identified and marked allowing for very small incisions and quick recovery.
If you have any specific questions or would like to discuss similar cases, feel free to contact me.
Also read:
Posterior heel pain
Remember functional anatomy and to x-ray
(This content is intended for healthcare professionals only)