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The human foot and ankle are astonishingly complex, and when they hurt, life shrinks fast. In this comprehensive episode of Aussie Med Ed, host and Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Gavin Nimon sits down with Dr Peter Stavrou, Adelaide-based foot and ankle specialist and past president of the Australian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, to unpack everything medical students, junior doctors, and GPs need to know about foot and ankle conditions.

From the emergency department to the operating theatre, this episode covers the full spectrum of foot and ankle care - with practical, evidence-based guidance you can use in clinical practice today.

We start with the realities of frontline care. Mechanism matters: inversion plantarflexion points to lateral ligament sprain, while dorsiflexion eversion sets off alarms for syndesmosis. You’ll learn how to use Ottawa rules wisely, why two to three weeks without improvement is the decision point, and when weight-bearing X-rays, MRI, or weight-bearing CT tip the balance toward referral. We demystify Achilles ruptures with simple bedside tests, compare nonoperative and surgical pathways, and outline honest timelines for walking, rehab, and return to sport.

From there, we pivot to the elective landscape. Think bunions, hallux rigidus, plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, neuromas, adult acquired flatfoot, and ankle arthritis. We share clear strategies that work in real life: rocker-soled shoes, arch supports, ultrasound-guided injections, and joint-sparing options like cheilectomy. When surgery is on the table, we contrast fusion and total ankle replacement, highlight who benefits most from each, and bring in up-to-date registry insights on survivorship and outcomes. We also tackle stress fractures, the underestimated role of vitamin D, and why chronic ankle instability often needs both soft tissue repair and bony realignment to succeed.

If you want practical, step-by-step thinking that helps patients move without fear and pain, this conversation delivers. Subscribe, share with a colleague who sees ankle pain every clinic, and leave a review to tell us the topic you want covered next.

Aussie Med Ed is supported by HealthShare. 

HealthShare is a digital health company that provides solutions for patients, GPs and specialists across Australia. Two of HealthShare's  products are Better Consult, a pre consultation questionnaire that allows GPs to know a patient's agenda before the consult begins,  as well as HealthShare's Specialist Referrals Directory, a specialist and allied health directory helping GPs find the right specialist.

Aussie Med Ed is sponsored by Avant  Medical Indemnity: They state that they offer holistic support to help the doctor practice safely and believe they have extensive cover that's continually evolving to meet your needs in the ever changing regulatory environment.

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