Tarsal Coalition Surgery in NYC & Beverly Hills

Avoid rearfoot fusion with the right surgeon and the right techniques.

No parent wants to see their child suffering in pain and withdrawing from life. And no young person wants restrictions on their future. Many foot surgeons take an overly aggressive approach to tarsal coalition, performing fusion procedures that may eliminate pain but lead to new problems later on. Fusion can cause permanent stiffness of the foot, which can interfere with normal gait and movement, limiting activities and causing knee, hip, and spine issues.

Dr. Blitz has dedicated his career to avoiding fusion, making important contributions to advance the surgical treatment of tarsal coalition. His progressive, published approach removes the abnormal connections and corrects the structure of the foot in a single operation. And instead of requiring fusion, his methods restore flexibility, range of motion, and quality of life.

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Happy patients. Relieved parents.

Because tarsal coalition often appears in children and adolescents, the procedure accounts for many of Dr. Blitz’s youngest patients. His award-winning approach and reassuring manner puts them and their parents at ease, from first consultation to final followup.

When invisible problems cause visible distress.

It’s every parent’s fear. Their child is hurting, and instead of answers and assurance, they hear uncertainty… that is, until they talk to Dr. Blitz. Tarsal coalitions are usually present from birth. They cause pain in adolescence as flexible cartilage transitions to harder bone, and often present alongside another issue, like a sports or dance injury. But tarsal coalitions can be invisible on x-rays, especially to non-specialist doctors in the ER or urgent care centers. Many children go through cycles of misdiagnosis, pain, immobilization, physical therapy, and meds, until a specialist diagnoses properly. But too often, those same specialists insist on fusing the rearfoot. As parents educate themselves, they discover that fusion has irreversible consequences – and they’re looking for better solutions. That’s where Dr. Blitz comes in.

There’s plenty of hope for active young patients:

Person standing in small surgical sandal

Isolated Coalition Removal

Some cases may allow immediate walking in a small surgical sandal or more stabilizing boot, with a quick return to daily life.

Combined Flat Foot Repair

When flat foot correction is needed, the patient may be restricted from weight bearing for up to six weeks to ensure proper healing.

Complete Recovery

Whatever the repair process may be, Dr. Blitz works to get young patients back on their feet and back to their favorite activities.

Dr. Blitz is a pioneer in advancing the standard of care for tarsal coalition surgery.

His innovative methods have been published in the Journal of Foot & Ankle Surgery, and his research in the field is award-winning. His unique procedure and treatment algorithm allows him to remove the coalition and correct the structure of the foot – all in a single operation.

Avoiding Fusion

Preserves the foot’s anatomy to help avoid foot and ankle problems later on.

Restoring Motion

Removing the coalition tissue or bone that restricts the foot’s movement.

Improving Alignment

Correcting the flat foot, if present, in the same procedure.

What is tarsal coalition?

Tarsal coalition happens when the bones below the ankle involving the back part of the foot are connected where they shouldn’t be. Those connections, or “coalitions,” can be solid bone or fibrous scar-like tissue. Coalitions prevent normal movement of the foot, and cause pain, flat feet, limping, muscle spasms, and even arthritis. It’s a congenital condition that usually begins in childhood – but often isn’t discovered till adolescence or even adulthood. Coalitions are classified based on the types of tissue that binds the bones – either fibrous scar tissue or osseous bone material – and on the specific bones involved:

Talocalcaneal Coalition

The most complex tarsal coalition is located inside the foot, just below the ankle, between the talus and calcaneus bones. They are highly symptomatic and painful.

Calcaneonavicular Coalition

A common tarsal coalition that connects the calcaneal bone to the navicular bone, and is located on the outer aspect of the foot.

Talonavicular Coalition

An uncommon coalition that connects the talus bone and the navicular bone and rarely results in pain.

Fixing flat feet and addressing arthritis.

Rearfoot arthritis may accompany tarsal coalition – even in children and adolescents. Arthritis may develop as the coalition worsens, or it may occur with severe, large coalitions. Dr. Blitz’s award-winning research identified that tarsal coalition arthritis is more common with fibrous coalitions and progresses with age. In his approach, the presence and extent of arthritis helps determine which type of surgery will be most successful.

Likewise, coalitions can cause flat feet – specifically, a rigid flat foot that’s stiff and collapsed. Tarsal coalition rigid flat feet can be very painful – but Dr. Blitz can remove the coalition, restore motion, and simultaneously correct the flat foot.

“Dr. Blitz is amazing. My daughter had been suffering for months with pain related to a rare tarsal coalition condition. I was at the end of my rope trying to find a solution for her pain. Seven weeks after the surgery, my daughter is pain free and walking again.”

Diana Hernandez, Mother, Patient