═══════════════════════════════════════ Jones Fracture Surgery in Athletes: A Sports Medicine Surgeon's Complete Guide By Sarang Desai, DO — Fellowship-Trained Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgeon Sports Medicine | McKinney and Flower Mound, Texas ═══════════════════════════════════════ If you're an athlete and you've been told you have a Jones fracture, here's the bottom line: surgery is the standard of care. Not because conservative treatment can never work — but because the e

What the Research Actually Shows — and What It Doesn't DR. SARANG DESAI / EVIDENCE REVIEW BY DR. SARANG DESAI | Fellowship-Trained Orthopedic Surgeon | Dallas–Fort Worth Peptides have become one of the most talked-about topics in sports medicine. Patients come into my clinic having read about BPC-157 on a podcast, seen TB-500 promoted by a fitness influencer, or been offered a "peptide protocol" by a wellness clinic promising faster tendon healing. Here is the honest answer:

Best Vitamins and Supplements for Achilles Tendon Healing: What the Research Shows DR. SARANG DESAI / EVIDENCE REVIEW --- BY DR. SARANG DESAI | Fellowship-Trained Orthopedic Surgeon | Dallas–Fort Worth Almost every patient recovering from an Achilles injury asks me some version of the same question: "Is there anything I can take to help this heal faster?" It's a fair question, and the supplement industry has plenty of answers — collagen powders, tendon repair blends, turmeric

DR. SARANG DESAI FELLOWSHIP TRAINED ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON Introduction Multiligament knee injuries (MLKIs) account for fewer than 0.02% of orthopaedic injuries, yet 16% to 40% of affected patients sustain injury to the common peroneal nerve (CPN).[1] When that nerve fails, the result is foot drop — loss of active ankle dorsiflexion producing steppage gait, toe drag, falls, and long-term dependence on bracing.[2] Understanding why a ligament injury damages a nerve requires unders

If you're reading this, there's a good chance you just hurt the middle of your foot — and you're either confused about what a "Lisfranc injury" is, frustrated that it was missed the first time, or trying to figure out whether you need surgery. You're not alone. Lisfranc injuries are misdiagnosed approximately 20% of the time on initial evaluation. That's one in five. And when they're missed, the consequences can be severe — chronic pain, arch collapse, arthritis, and in athle

What Happens When an Athlete Goes Down I've been on the sideline when a basketball player lands on someone's foot and crumples to the ground. I've watched a running back plant and cut, then grab the outside of his foot. I've seen a soccer player go up for a header, come down wrong, and not get up. In those moments, the crowd goes quiet. The coaching staff looks at you. The athletic trainer is already jogging out. And you have about 60 seconds to start making decisions that wi

If you're reading this, there's a good chance you just broke the outside of your foot. Maybe it happened on the basketball court. Maybe you were cutting on the soccer field. Maybe you planted your foot during a football drill and felt a sudden sharp pain on the outer edge of your foot. Or maybe you've been dealing with a nagging ache on the outside of your foot for weeks — and you just found out it's actually a fracture. Either way, you've probably been told you have a "Jones

If you're reading this, there's a good chance you just ruptured your Achilles tendon. Maybe it happened on the basketball court. Maybe you were lunging for a pickleball. Maybe you were just jogging and felt something pop in the back of your ankle. Whatever happened, you probably felt like someone kicked you in the back of the leg — except nobody was there. Now you're sitting at home with a swollen ankle, searching the internet for answers. You want to know what happened, whet

Not all ankle sprains are created equal. If your ankle pain is higher up on the leg than expected, recovery is dragging on far longer than a typical sprain, or you can't push off when walking or running — you may be dealing with a high ankle sprain rather than the common low ankle sprain. These two injuries involve completely different ligaments, different injury mechanisms, and dramatically different recovery timelines. Confusing one for the other is one of the most common r

Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus (OLT): Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, and Recovery — Foot & Ankle Sports Medicine Specialist in North Texas That deep, nagging ankle pain that just won't go away after a sprain — the catching, swelling, and stiffness that lingers months after the initial injury should have healed — could be an osteochondral lesion of the talus. Often called an OLT, OCD (osteochondritis dissecans), or talar dome lesion, this condition involves damage to both th

Turf toe may sound minor, but this injury to the big toe joint has ended seasons — and even careers — for athletes at every level. Originally named for its association with artificial turf in football, turf toe is now recognized as a significant sports injury that can occur in any sport involving running, cutting, or pushing off. If not properly diagnosed and treated, turf toe can lead to chronic pain, stiffness, and long-term joint damage. With offices in McKinney and Flower

You've been training hard — increasing your mileage on the trails at Erwin Park, pushing through preseason conditioning at Prosper or Frisco ISD, or logging extra hours on your feet at work — and now you have a nagging pain in your foot that won't go away. It started as a dull ache during activity, but now it hurts when you walk. You might have a stress fracture. Stress fractures of the foot and ankle account for nearly half of all bone stress injuries in athletes, and they a

Introduction: A Message to Parents Let’s be honest — we all want our kids to succeed. Whether it’s excelling in sports, school, or both, we invest time, energy, and resources into giving them every opportunity. But in that pursuit, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that our kids are not professional athletes. They’re not getting paid. They don’t need to sacrifice their long-term health for the next tournament or trophy. As an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports injuri

By Dr. Sarang Desai, DO – Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon | Sports Medicine | Allen/McKinney, TX Youth sports are an incredible part of growing up — they build confidence, friendships, and lifelong habits. But as a foot and ankle specialist, I see firsthand how common injuries can sideline even the most active kids. Whether your child plays soccer, basketball, track, or club volleyball, it’s important to know the warning signs of foot and ankle injuries — and when it’s time t

Pickleball has seen an explosive growth in popularity, appealing to a diverse range of age groups and athletic backgrounds. However, the sport's dynamic movements, which involve sudden stops, pivots, and quick shifts in direction, have also led to an increase in associated injuries. Notably, foot and ankle injuries are becoming common, affecting players from recreational beginners to competitive enthusiasts. Understanding the prevalence and risk factors associated with these