Foot Institute in Zurich: Foot Specialist PD Dr Norman Espinosa

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PD Dr Norman Espinosa is a specialist and expert in reconstructive foot and ankle surgery and a partner in the Zurich Foot Institute (Switzerland). With his many years of experience in orthopaedics and traumatology within foot and ankle surgery, PD Dr Espinosa is one of the world's leading experts in this field. This guarantees medical care at the highest level.

PD Dr Espinosa is fluent in German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Swiss-German. Together with two other foot specialists, he heads up the Foot Institute in Zurich as a centre of excellence where patients are always the focus. Dr Espinosa and his colleagues take time to address the concerns of their patients and made it their guiding principle to treat them like their closest friends and family.

Highest Level of Expertise for Diseases of the Feet and Ankles

PD Dr Norman Espinosa cares for his patients from the point of diagnostic clarification, through consultation and treatment, right up to after-care, and in the process always strives to achieve individually and perfectly adapted therapeutic results. He offers a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic services for foot and ankle diseases at the Foot Institute in Zurich.

Conservative Foot Orthopaedics

Non-surgical, conservative therapy is an important pillar in the treatment of foot and ankle problems. In this regard, Dr Espinosa offers measures ranging from advice concerning possible activities, to prescription of physiotherapy, to injection treatments. In many cases, pain and anti-inflammatory medications are already able to significantly relieve discomfort in the region of the feet or ankles. In cases of misalignment, splints (orthoses), insoles or special shoes can help. The Foot Institute works together with master orthopaedic shoemakers, among others, and, where necessary, also gladly takes over the coordination of appointments. To alleviate pain and inflammatory reactions and to stop degeneration (arthrosis), e.g., in the ankle joint, PD Dr Espinosa also offers local injections (cortisone or hyaluronic acid) into the joint in cooperation with a neighboring radiology practice.

Foot Institute for Foot and Ankle Surgery

In addition to classic corrective procedures such as for bunions and hammer toes, the surgical treatment of wear and tear symptoms (osteoarthritis) in the upper ankle joint is one of Dr Espinosa's specialist areas. Unlike with the knee and hip joints, osteoarthrosis of the ankle usually occurs as a late consequence of accidents and injuries that occurred in one's earlier years. Typical complaints include difficulties getting going in the morning or pain during exercise, which can persist even during periods of rest.

If conservative treatment is not sufficient to alleviate these complaints or if the level of pain is so severe that it puts the patient under excessive strain, then foot surgery is indicated. The type of therapy here depends on the age, level of activity and secondary diseases of the patient. 

The decision will also be affected by whether the case in question is one of acquired osteoarthrosis following an accident, or an inflammatory disease, e.g., rheumatoid arthritis.

Foot Institute for Joint-Preserving Foot and Ankle Operations

These interventions preserve the "original" joint. A so-called "conversion operation" becomes an option when only a portion of the ankle is damaged by osteoarthritis. In such cases, Dr Espinosa relocates the exertion of force from the diseased part onto the healthy region of the joint by cutting out a wedge of bone. Conversion procedures within foot surgery have become increasingly important in recent years and help prevent or delay arthrodesis or artificial joint replacement.

Expert in Ankle Arthrodesis and Artificial Ankles

The ankle cannot always be preserved. However, thanks to state-of-the-art methods, joint arthrodesis or artificial ankle replacement are foot operations that represent an enormous level of recovery for patients in terms of activity and quality of life.

In the case of arthrodesis (an immobilisation procedure) Dr Espinosa secures the painful ankle using screws +/- plates, so that movement and friction of the damaged regions of the joint are prevented. Arthrodesis is especially advisable in young patients, as it also allows load-bearing activities such as jogging. One need not fear a limping gait pattern because the surrounding joints take over the flexion and rotation functions of the immobilised joint.

Alternatively, Dr Espinosa has great experience in inserting artificial ankles. These also allow numerous activities such as skiing, hiking or swimming and contribute significantly to relieving pain for osteoarthritis patients and to them regaining a large degree of quality of life.

Expert Help for Trauma and Sports Injuries to the Feet

As a specialist in traumatology, PD Dr Espinosa also treats foot injuries caused by accidents or sports. These include broken bones (fractures) as well as torn tendons or ligaments. Without suitable therapy, these injuries can cause severe damage to the ankles (osteoarthrosis). This is why Dr Espinosa and his colleagues rely on a thorough diagnosis, modern therapeutic procedures, and consistent, scientifically founded follow-up treatments to ensure a speedy recovery and regaining of one's original level of performance, especially with athletes.  

Click here for the website of PD Dr Norman Espinosa.