Abigail Rappa, DPM

A stress fracture is a small crack in a bone that develops over time due to repeated stress rather than a single injury. It occurs when bones are exposed to ongoing physical strain without enough time to rest and repair. Stress fractures account for about 20 percent of sports-related injuries and are especially common in people who participate in high-impact or repetitive activities such as running, dancing, and military training. Female runners are at particularly high risk. Factors such as...

What do Joe Burrow, Brock Purdy, and Treylon Burks have in common? Beyond being high-profile NFL players, all three have been sidelined by a condition known as turf toe. Turf toe is an injury to the soft tissues surrounding the big toe joint. This joint is formed by two bones connected by ligaments, tendons, and other supporting structures. When excessive or abnormal force is placed on the joint, these soft tissues can become overstretched or torn, resulting in a turf toe injury. The severity...

Pain in the ball of the foot can significantly impair walking and quality of life. One potential cause of this symptom is plantar plate injury, a condition that affects a key stabilizing structure of the forefoot. The plantar plate plays an essential role in maintaining toe alignment during gait, and damage to this structure can result in pain, instability, and progressive toe deformity. Management ranges from conservative care to surgical intervention, depending on injury severity, making...