HyProCure Procedure – Flatfoot Correction
23rd Aug 2019
The Link Between Your Foot, Body and Knee Pain
The foundation of the body begins with the feet. When we are standing all of our weight is balanced and aligned through the bones, muscles, ligaments and other tissues that make up the foot. There are a number of issues that can adversely affect this alignment, including:
- Flat feet
- Ligament injury
- Antalgic gait due to pain
- Deformities, such as Bunions
- Shin splints
- Fallen arches
When the foots natural alignment is insufficient, like a domino effect this causes excessive motion at the knee, hip, pelvis, spine, neck and shoulders. It is in this way that painful foot issues can transfer to knee pain and generalised body pain.
Due to the expansive nature of this pathology, issues such as flat feet should be treated appropriately and take into account the total impact on your body’s movements.
Can flat feet cause falls?
In most cases, flat feet do not prevent people from walking, standing, running or conducting normal activities. However, people with flat feet are more likely to fall, trip and injure themselves. This is not just due to the inherent instability in the foot joints caused by flat feet, but also because this instability compromises stable movement across the entire body.
There are two kinds of flat foot, flexible and rigid. Flexible flat feet are the most common and are distinguished by the fact that the arch is present when non-weight bearing, but becomes flat when standing. Rigid flat feet are present at all times and are less common. There is more information on the difference between these two
forms of flat feet here.
How do you fix flat feet?
Flat feet often grow out, and at any rate are rarely symptomatic, although aches and other mild symptoms may be present after sports or significant activity. However, in less common cases they require treatment as they cause pain and wider systemic issues. Conservative measures include:
- Orthotics – to support the foot and redistribute pressure
- Appropriate Shoes – to cushion the foot and support the foot
- Heel Stretches and massage – to ease tension and pain
- Pain management – NSAIDs may be prescribed to alleviate painful episodes
If symptoms are particularly severe and cause imbalance/falls, constant pain and interruption of daily activities, surgery may be recommended to correct the flat foot. Typical surgical procedures to correct flat feet include:
- Arthrodesis: Fusion of the foot or ankle bones
- Excision: Removing bony issues that are causing the flat foot
- Tendon transfer: Improving the form of the arch by grafting tendons from other parts of the body
- Lateral column lengthening: Adding extra bone to improve the foot arch.
- The HyProCure procedure: Using an implant to stabilise the ankle and promote natural arch position
Of these I lean towards recommending the HyProCure procedure, which has several advantages over other surgical treatments.
What is HyProCure?
The HyProCure procedure is a state-of-the-art surgical implant that is used to treat a range of conditions, including mis-aligned feet, shin splints and, importantly, flat feet. The procedure involves placing the HyProCure device, a titanium stent, into the naturally occurring space in the sinus tarsi:
This stabilises the ankle bone and hindfoot while still allowing for normal motion of the joints in the area.
Why Choose HyProCure?
The HyProCure procedure has many advantages over other forms of surgical correction.
- No Pins, Screws or Drills required
- HyProCure does not block or cause range of motion problems
- The procedure is minimally invasive, meaning a faster recovery, return to activity and decreased risk of infection and other complications
Hyprocure procedure
HyProCure surgery is short, typically lasting around 20 minutes. Patients are generally under sedation or twilight sleep. The procedure is performed in an outpatient setting, meaning you would return home on the same day.
Follow this link to see a video of me carrying out the HyProCure procedure.
Hyprocure Stent / HyProCure Implant
The HyProCure implant is made of titanium, meaning it is extremely resistant to pressures and can remain in the body indefinitely. The implant blocks pronation in that it prevents the heel from everting into a position that causes the arch to collapse.
The stent is not placed within nor does it penetrate any bones. The HyProCure implant has a low removal rate for a sinus tarsi implant, with around ~5% of cases requiring removal.
Hyprocure surgery recovery time
Patients would typically return to normal activities after a few weeks and the body will adjust and recorrect to the new alignment over the ensuing months.
Factors that can affect recovery time are the same as with other types of surgery, including:
- Age
- Fitness and Health
- Injury
- Whether additional surgery is required
- How well the patient follows post surgical instructions and rehabilitation
- Postoperative complications
Potential Risks and Complications with Any Surgery
Similarly, the risks and complications conform with those normally associated with surgical treatments:
- Blood clots
- Delayed healing
- Infection
- Poor results
- Pain issues
- Scarring
- Swelling and Bruising
- Implant removal
- Bruised ankle feeling
- Nerve irritation
Are there any limitations for Sports after this hyprocure procedure?
The HyProCure procedure should not limit activities. Once the area has healed and your body’s alignment is corrected you would likely note an improvement in sporting activities, especially those that involve walking, running and jumping.
Can I still get MRIs, CT scans, etc. with HyProCure in my foot?
The HyProCure device is made out of medical grade Titanium. This means it is not only durable, non-reactive, and unlikely to cause allergic reactions, but it also does not cause problems when using radiologic medical scans such as MRI or CT. Nor will it set off metal detectors.
Will I feel the implant in my foot?
Typically, once the surgical site has healed and your body has acclimated to the new alignment you should not feel or notice the implant. Rarely, in approximately 15% of cases there is some residual discomfort arising from the implant region, although this is often scar tissue and dissipates after a few months.
Will there be a visible scar?
The procedure involves a very small incision, normally around an inch long. This normally heals very well and quickly. In most cases the scar is practically invisible.
Hyprocure cost UK
The fees involved in undergoing the HyProCure procedure privately can vary greatly. The kinds of factors that have an impact include:
- The surgical setting and facility fees involved
- Your surgeons fee for performing the surgery
- If additional procedures are required in your case
As a rough guide, at my practice in London the procedure costs approximately £5600 per foot under general anesthesia.
Am I a Candidate for HyProCure?
The HyProCure procedure can be used to treat flat feet and a range of misalignment issues. If these characterise your underlying pathology and your symptoms are quite severe, it is possible you would be a candidate for this kind of surgery.
The HyProCure procedure is carried out in 30 countries worldwide. Research well to find a suitable surgeon who is able to offer this procedure.
Find out more
If you have any other questions or would like to reserve an appointment at my practice, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team: