Thankfully, malignant (cancerous) bone and soft tissue tumors in the foot and ankle are pretty rare. We see benign (non-cancerous) tumors much more commonly in the foot and ankle. Probably the most common one we see is called a ganglion cyst. Ganglion cysts are formed when fluid fills up in a pocket of tissue that creates the cyst. We see these form most commonly when synovial fluid either leaks out a tendon sheath or out of a joint from a tear in the joint capsule.
One common bone tumor that we see is called an aneurysmal bone cyst. This is a benign bone tumor that can still cause pain. Sometimes, these need to be removed surgically and bone grafted to fill the deficit.
When we do find malignant bone tumors, some of the first signs can be either pain in the bone or an insufficiency fracture. An insufficiency fracture is when a bone breaks without larger traumatic event. This can happen when a bone is weakened from the tumor.
For malignant soft tissue tumors, like a synovial sarcoma, it is important to treat this as quickly as possible. These are not tumors that you want to avoid treatment on, because they can spread leading to much larger problems. When these need to be removed surgically, we try to remove as much as necessary to get adequate margins, but still maintain as much function as possible.
At Foot and Ankle Institute of Colorado, we are here to help you with any urgent issues you are having during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are taking extra precautions with cleaning and also offering valet appointments during this time. We continue to see a large increase in people with heel pain currently, since many people have more time to exercise right now. Dr. Hinderland and Dr. Cameron are both expertly trained to provide the latest treatments for you. Call our Colorado Springs podiatry office at 719-488-4664 if there is any way we can help you!
