Traumatic foot and ankle injuries in the athlete.

Unrecognized and inappropriately managed foot and ankle injuries can lead to significant long-term functional disability. As many of the above injuries are frequently diagnosed late or not even considered because of the benign appearance of the foot or radiograph, it behooves the sports medicine physician to carefully assess the foot and obtain appropriate radiographs, including stress views as needed. Although quick return to athletic play is among the goals of treatment for the elite athlete, this must be tempered by the fact that certain injuries require significantly greater time for complete recovery. A functional rehabilitation program is the best means to rapidly return the player to competition and while prolonging the athletic career.