Pathologic hindfoot conditions in the athlete

Millions of people run in the United States, both for competitive reasons and for basic conditioning. Unfortunately, many runners develop cumulative (overload) stress syndromes, a number of which occur in the hindfoot. Among the most common are Achilles tendinitis and its associated conditions, plantar fasciitis, and tendinitis of the posterior tibial and flexor hallucis longus tendons. Most of these conditions respond well to conservative treatment, but in some instances surgery is needed. Surgery frequently can help patients who have not responded to conservative therapy to return to active and even competitive athletic lives.