Cortese Foot and Ankle Clinic

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Normal, IL
Cortese Foot and Ankle Clinic

Our team of foot and ankle surgeons offers personalized foot and ankle care for all ages. With two locations in Normal and Pontiac, Illinois.

06/09/2026

📚 Recent pediatric foot and ankle literature reminds us that not all heel pain in children is “just Sever’s disease.”

A review published by authors from the University of Alabama at Birmingham emphasized that while Sever’s apophysitis remains the most common cause of pediatric heel pain, clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion when symptoms persist, recur, or fail to improve as expected. Stress fractures, tarsal coalition, infection, and even neoplastic processes may present similarly.

For parents and young athletes, the message is simple: if heel pain continues despite appropriate treatment, further evaluation may be warranted. Early recognition can help get kids back to the activities they love—safely.

Reference: Kothari EA, Padgett AM, Young SM, et al. A Review of Pediatric Heel Pain. Cureus. 2023;15(1):e34228. doi:10.7759/cureus.34228.

06/05/2026

Happy Weekend! ☀️👣

A quick foot health tip: If you’re replacing your lawn mower, patio furniture, or doing any weekend projects, make sure you’re wearing supportive, closed-toe shoes. Every summer, we see preventable foot injuries from dropped tools, heavy objects, and unexpected encounters with sharp objects in the yard.

A little protection goes a long way.

Enjoy the sunshine and have a great weekend!

06/03/2026

A major new study published in JAMA Network Open analyzed nearly 708,000 Medicare patients with diabetic foot wounds and found something that those of us in limb preservation see every day:

📉 Communities with greater access to podiatrists had significantly LOWER rates of major amputations.

In fact, among all healthcare workforce factors studied, podiatrist supply was the only provider variable consistently associated with fewer major amputations. The authors concluded that regions with more podiatrists experienced substantially lower amputation rates among patients with diabetic lower-extremity wounds.

The takeaway is simple: Early foot evaluations, routine diabetic foot care, wound management, offloading, and timely intervention save limbs.

If you have diabetes, don’t wait until a problem becomes severe. Regular foot examinations remain one of the most important—and most overlooked—parts of preventive healthcare.

Reference:
Popescu I, et al. Geographic Variation in Amputations for Medicare Patients With Diabetic Lower-Extremity Wounds. JAMA Network Open. 2026. (diabeticfootonline.com)

06/02/2026

🦶 “It’s Just a Little Ingrown Toenail”… Until It’s Not

Ingrown toenails are one of the most common problems we treat—and one of the most ignored early on.

What starts as mild soreness can quickly turn into:
❗ Infection
❗ Drainage
❗ Significant pain with walking

Common causes:
🔹 Improper nail trimming (too short or rounded)
🔹 Tight shoes
🔹 Trauma or repetitive pressure

What actually helps:
✔️ Cutting nails straight across
✔️ Avoiding tight toe boxes
✔️ Getting it treated early before infection sets in

If it’s red, swollen, or draining—waiting it out usually makes things worse, not better.

05/29/2026

Happy Friday! ☀️👣

Hot weather reminder: your feet sweat more in the summer—warm, moist environments = perfect setup for fungus, blisters, and irritation.

Breathable shoes, dry socks, and giving your feet some air time can go a long way.

Take care of your feet this weekend… they’re working overtime in this heat 🔥

05/27/2026

What does the research actually support orthotics for? 👣

The strongest evidence for foot orthoses is not simply “correcting feet,” but helping reduce pain and improve function in specific conditions — especially plantar heel pain (plantar fasciitis) and patellofemoral pain syndrome (“runner’s knee”).

Recent systematic reviews have shown that orthotics may help by:• Reducing stress on irritated tissues• Improving walking and running mechanics• Decreasing plantar pressure and abnormal loading• Improving function during activity

Importantly, orthotics are usually MOST effective when combined with the right footwear, stretching, strengthening, and activity modification — not as a stand-alone “magic fix.”

Every foot is different. A quality biomechanical evaluation matters far more than simply buying an insert online and hoping for the best.

📚 Recent evidence:• Gait & Posture (2024) systematic review/meta-analysis found foot orthoses can reduce plantar pressure and influence ankle/tibial mechanics during running.• Sports Medicine Open (2024) scoping review reported potential benefits of orthoses in symptomatic runners when matched appropriately to the patient.• Heliyon systematic review/meta-analysis found orthoses improved knee function and sport/recreation function in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

05/26/2026

Exploring Less Invasive Offloading Surgery for Chronic Plantar Diabetic Forefoot Ulcers https://diabeticfootonline.com/2024/07/11/exploring-less-invasive-offloading-surgery-for-chronic-plantar-diabetic-forefoot-ulcers-actagainstamputation/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fedica-DFO-Evergreen

05/21/2026

Just a reminder we will be closed Monday for Memorial day. Have a safe weekend....

05/19/2026

🦶 Nail Fungus (Onychomycosis) Treatment is Changing — Here’s What Patients Should Know

Recent U.S. medical research is reshaping how we diagnose and treat toenail fungus:

🔬 1. Some infections are becoming resistant to common medications
Studies now show certain fungal species may not respond to standard oral treatments like terbinafine, especially in patients who have failed prior therapy.

🧪 2. Better testing is improving diagnosis
Newer molecular (PCR) testing can detect fungal infections more accurately than traditional cultures, which sometimes miss the diagnosis.

🧫 3. New fungal strains are emerging in the U.S.
A newer organism (Trichophyton indotineae) has been identified and may be more resistant to typical treatments.

🛠️ 4. Not all nail fungus behaves the same
Some infections form dense fungal masses (called dermatophytomas), which may require debridement and combination therapy for best results.

💡 What this means for you:
If you’ve tried treatment before and it didn’t work, it doesn’t mean it’s untreatable. It may require a more targeted, modern approach.

📅 If you’re dealing with thick, discolored, or painful nails, schedule an evaluation—we can help determine the best treatment based on the latest evidence.

309-452-3000

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📚 Sources (Recent U.S. & peer-reviewed literature):
• Epidemiology of Onychomycosis in the U.S. using molecular methods (2015–2024), Journal of Fungi
• Terbinafine-resistant Trichophyton rubrum cases, Journal of Fungi
• Emerging antifungal-resistant Trichophyton indotineae, Journal of Clinical Microbiology
• Dermatophytoma management review, Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association
• Antifungal resistance trends, Antibiotics (Basel)

Address

1607 Visa Drive Suite 5B
Normal, IL
61761

Website

https://www.cortesefootandankle.com/

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