HyProCure: A New, Minimally Invasive Solution to Misaligned Feet

Are you suffering from chronic heel pain? Flat feet? Persistent discomfort in your knees or hips?

There are, to be sure, many possible explanations for any of these symptoms. But you might be surprised to learn that misaligned feet and ankles are pretty high up on the list.

It makes sense when you think about it, though. Just like an unstable foundation can threaten the structural integrity of the entire building that rests on top, unstable or misaligned feet can be the core problem underlying a wide range of painful issues.

As foot experts, it’s our job to identify, diagnose, and treat these misalignments—and we have a variety of techniques we can employ. One of the newest and most exciting of these techniques is called HyProCure.

What Is HyProCure?

HyProCure is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that can provide permanent realignment and relief for a common type of misaligned rearfoot called talotarsal displacement. This procedure is completed in just a single, simple appointment.

During the procedure, we’ll make a small incision in the side of your foot, near the space where the ankle bone sits above the heel bone. Through this incision, we’ll gently push a small titanium stent into a naturally occurring “gap” between the bones called the sinus tarsi. This is not a “joint space” and won’t impede motion whatsoever.

The entire procedure only takes 20-30 minutes from start to finish.

What Is Talotarsal Displacement and How Does HyProCure Fix It?

If you have this kind of foot misalignment, it means the ankle bone doesn’t quite sit correctly on top of the heel bone. The sinus tarsi, that natural “gap” we talked about earlier, collapses. The ankle bone slides out of position, rotating inward while the rest of the foot rotates outward.

Although the misalignment may seem minor to the untrained eye, it shifts the fundamental balance of forces and weight distribution across the entire foot. It also creates pressure imbalances (and the possibility of excessive joint wear) further up the musculoskeletal chain, including the knees, hips, back, and sometimes even shoulders and neck.

Millions of Americans suffer from talotarsal displacement, most without even knowing it. And it may be causing them all kinds of problems in their daily life, from flat feet and hyper-pronation to bunions, heel pain, and discomfort throughout the body.

HyProCure fixes this problem in a very simple yet profound way. By inserting the specially designed stent into the naturally occurring sinus tarsi space, the space can no longer collapse, and the ankle bone remains in the correct position relative to the heel. The hindfoot is immediately stabilized and realigned, and weight distribution across the foot (and further up the body) is normalized.

It’s important to note, again, that the sinus tarsi is not a joint, and the HyProCure stent will not have any contact with bone during or after insertion. It simply keeps an area of soft tissue that isn’t supposed to collapse from collapsing. You won’t be able to “feel” it there, and it won’t restrict your normal range of motion in any way.

The Primary Benefits of HyProCure

Probably the biggest reason that HyProCure is so exciting is that it offers a permanent, internal fix for a common type of foot misalignment via minimally invasive, lower-risk surgery.

The benefits over a more invasive, traditional rearfoot reconstructive surgery are numerous and significant. They include:

• Lower risk of infection or other post-surgical complications.
• No need for costly hospitalization.
• Faster recovery times. (Most people are back to regular walking within a couple of weeks.)
• Less scarring.

HyProCure is also fully reversible in most cases, in the very rare instances where the procedure is ineffective. That is definitely not true for traditional reconstructive surgery.

Another potential alternative to HyProCure would be custom orthotics. While orthotics do have the advantage of being an even less invasive and more easily reversible option than HyProCure, there are also some obvious drawbacks. They only work when you wear them. They might only fit certain kinds of shoes. They wear down over time and periodically need to be replaced. In short, they can’t match the convenience of a permanent, internal fix!

Is HyProCure Right For Me?

That’s what we’re here to help you find out!

HyProCure is going to be the right choice for a lot of people who have talotarsal displacement—a group that includes millions of Americans. However, not every case of foot pain is the result of misaligned feet, and not every case of misaligned feet is due to talotarsal displacement.

If we feel HyProCure would be effective for your situation, you may still wish to weigh the pros and cons against an alternative like custom orthotics. We want to make sure you have all the options clearly laid out and all the information you need to make an informed choice.

That all being said, we are really excited about being able to offer this advanced treatment option to our patients! If we discover that you have a foot misalignment that can be corrected by HyProCure, there is a very good chance that this minimally invasive procedure can provide permanent realignment, a significant reduction in pain, and freedom from your orthotics!

If you’re currently suffering from chronic pain and wondering whether misaligned feet are to blame—and whether HyProCure can change your life for the better—pick up the phone and give us a call today!

Even if we determine that HyProCure isn’t right for your specific situation, we still offer comprehensive foot and ankle care services and a wide variety of advanced procedures to help you get better, faster. Let the Premier Podiatry Group get you back on your feet by calling (814) 472-2660!