Foot & Ankle Trauma

The foot and ankle are built from 26 bones and dozens of joints, ligaments, and tendons working together to bear weight and absorb impact with every step. That complexity means there’s a lot that can go wrong — a fall, a twist, a direct blow, or simply repetitive stress can fracture a bone or damage the ligaments that hold a joint together. Trauma care covers the full range, from ankle and foot fractures to stress fractures that develop gradually rather than all at once.

Anyone with a suspected fracture, a severely sprained ankle, or foot pain that developed after an increase in activity should be evaluated. Some injuries are obvious immediately — swelling, bruising, an inability to bear weight — while others, like stress fractures, announce themselves more quietly, as pain that doesn’t ease with rest the way a normal ache would, or that gets worse with continued activity instead of settling down.

Diagnosis starts with a history and physical exam, usually followed by X-rays to confirm and characterize the injury. Treatment ranges from a boot or cast for a stable fracture to surgical fixation with plates or screws for one that’s displaced or unstable. Dr. Feldman treats both routine and complex trauma for patients in Bethesda and Germantown, and will explain what your specific injury needs — and what recovery will realistically look like — before you leave the office.