Penn State College of Medicine offers the resident a balanced, current, state-of-the-art perspective of care with respect to the foot and ankle. The resident is provided with an excellent opportunity to develop the knowledge and motor skills to become competent in the entire care of the foot and ankle.

The Foot and Ankle Service consists of faculty members with special interests and fellowship training in orthopaedic foot and ankle reconstruction, trauma, and prosthetics and orthotics. In addition, a podiatrist provides exposure to non operative foot care and minor forefoot procedures. With a broad referral pattern, nearly 60 percent of the cases referred are patients who have failed orthopedic procedures or who have other complex problems. The balance of pathology consists of both complex and primary foot and ankle conditions, lower extremity referrals and direct admissions from our Level I Trauma Center. The operative case load for the Foot and Ankle Service alone is greater than 750 operative cases and 6500 outpatient visits per year.

The Foot and Ankle service has a formal curriculum: One lecture a month to all the residents, and a weekly formal foot and ankle pre op conference joined with a didactic presentation. The weekly conference topics are determined by the rotating residents, (to allow focus on topics not covered in the clinic or Operating Room setting).

The structure of the service is organized to provide a strong, balanced exposure to both the challenges of clinical practice and the problems of basic and clinical science investigation. The resident is exposed to:

• Lower Extremity Trauma – calcaneus fractures, talus fractures, pilon fractures and complex injuries of the foot and ankle
• Sequelae of Arthritis – hind foot fusions, forefoot procedures and competence in writing orthotic prescriptions
• The Diabetic Foot – comprehensive team approach focusing on prevention, salvage options and amputations, working directly with endocrinology, physical therapy and diabetic preventative education specialists
• Arthroscopic Surgery and Sports Medicine – ankle instability, arthroscopy and reconstructive surgery
• Amputation Surgery/Prosthetic Clinic – primary and revision surgery, amputee clinic and prosthetic prescription, working directly with the prosthetists
• Forefoot Surgery – bunion, hammertoes, osteotomies and neuromas
• Tumors – benign and malignant tumors of the foot
• Total Ankle Arthroplasty- primary and revision surgery

Clinical investigation is actively pursued on the Foot and Ankle Service.

The Division of Musculoskeletal Sciences provides a fertile environment for basic science and biomechanical investigation. Such research includes: Estrogen receptors and the posterior tibial tendon, Steroid injections and the Achilles tendon, Clinical outcomes of percutaneous tendoAchilles lengthening, as well as others.  Research projects have been published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Foot and Ankle International, Journal of Orthopedic Trauma, Foot and Ankle Clinics, to name a few.

Dr Juliano has been the section Editor for Current Opinion in Orthopedics since 2006.

We are also affiliated with Dr Neil Sharkey, who is in our State College Facility.  He heads a gait and biomechanics laboratory.  We also have an animal research facility on campus. The opportunity exists to do collaborative research.

The attending physicians also participate in the field of orthopedic trauma, at both the national and international level. Active memberships are maintained in the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society, the Orthopedic Trauma Association, The Eastern Orthopedic Society, the American Orthopedic Association, the Society of Military Orthopedic Surgeons, and AO International. Additionally, the attending physicians serve on national committees, and are frequently an invited speaker at national and international meetings.

For more information regarding Penn State Orthopedics' residency training program, please email the residency program coordinator at OrthoResidency@hmc.psu.edu.