Foot & Ankle Sports Medicine Specialist in Dallas–Fort Worth
Sports-Focused Care for Foot & Ankle Injuries
Foot and ankle injuries can significantly affect running, cutting, jumping, balance, and overall athletic performance.
Dr. Sarang Desai is a fellowship-trained orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon serving athletes and active patients throughout Dallas–Fort Worth, including McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Allen, Flower Mound, and surrounding communities.
His practice focuses on sports-related foot and ankle injuries ranging from overuse conditions and ligament sprains to tendon tears, fractures, cartilage injuries, and complex instability.
About
My name is Dr. Sarang Desai
About Dr. Sarang Desai
Dr. Sarang Desai is a fellowship-trained orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon with a strong focus on sports-related injuries and return-to-performance care. He treats athletes and active patients with Achilles injuries, ankle instability, tendon tears, cartilage injuries, fractures, and other complex foot and ankle conditions.
His connection to sports extends beyond the operating room. Dr. Desai was an All-American collegiate athlete and has served as a team physician caring for high-level and professional athletes. He has also been involved in professional sports ownership, giving him a unique appreciation for the demands placed on athletes, teams, and organizations when injury affects performance.
His approach combines precise diagnosis, evidence-based nonsurgical treatment, advanced surgical techniques when needed, and individualized rehabilitation planning. The goal is not simply to treat the injury, but to restore the strength, stability, mechanics, and confidence required for a safe return to sport and activity.
Dr. Desai is also actively involved in surgical education and teaching, including advanced foot and ankle procedures and sports-related reconstruction.
At a Glance
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Fellowship-Trained Orthopedic Surgeon
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Foot & Ankle Sports Medicine Specialist
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University of Texas All-American
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Former Team Physician
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Professional Sports Team Owner
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Evidence-Based, Personalized Care
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Serving McKinney, Flower Mound & Dallas
Why Choose Dr. Sarang Desai
Dr. Sarang Desai is a fellowship-trained orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon with a sports-focused practice treating athletes and active patients throughout Dallas–Fort Worth. His approach combines accurate diagnosis, nonsurgical treatment when appropriate, advanced surgical techniques, and individualized return-to-sport planning.
Fellowship-Trained Orthopedic Surgeon
Advanced Surgical Techniques
Return-to-Sport Focus
Sports Medicine Experience
Advanced subspecialty training in complex foot and ankle conditions, including fractures and reconstructive surgery.
Experience treating athletes and active patients with ligament, tendon, cartilage, fracture, and overuse injuries.
Expertise in minimally invasive, arthroscopic, reconstructive, and sports-focused surgical procedures when appropriate.
Treatment plans designed around restoring stability, strength, biomechanics, and confidence for a safe return to activity.
Conditions We Treat
Achilles Tendon Injuries
Turf Toe
A sprain or tear of the plantar structures beneath the big toe joint, commonly caused by forceful hyperextension during running, cutting, or contact sports. Treatment depends on injury severity and may range from protection and rehabilitation to surgical repair for unstable or high-grade injuries.
​Youth Sports Injuries
Growing athletes can develop unique foot and ankle injuries involving growth plates, ligaments, tendons, stress reactions, and fractures. Treatment is tailored to the athlete’s age, stage of skeletal development, sport, and goals, with an emphasis on safe healing and return to activity.
5th Metatarsal Fractures
Fifth metatarsal fractures occur along the outer border of the foot and can range from small avulsion fractures to Jones fractures, which have a higher risk of delayed healing or nonunion. Treatment depends on the fracture location, displacement, activity level, and healing potential.
How We Treat Foot & Ankle Injuries
Sports-related foot and ankle injuries can affect athletes of every age and competitive level, from youth sports and recreational activity to high-level competition. Dr. Sarang Desai provides specialized evaluation and treatment for ligament injuries, tendon disorders, fractures, cartilage injuries, overuse conditions, and other sports-related foot and ankle problems. Treatment is individualized to the injury, athlete, sport, and performance goals, with an emphasis on restoring stability, function, and a safe return to activity.
Sports-Specific Evaluation & Imaging
Assessment may include weight-bearing X-rays, MRI, CT, ultrasound, or stress imaging to define the injury and determine stability.
Bracing, Orthotics & Nonsurgical Care
Many sports injuries can be treated with bracing, orthotics, activity modification, medications, injections when appropriate, and structured rehabilitation.
Ligament & Tendon Repair
Persistent instability, ligament tears, and tendon injuries may require repair, reconstruction, or augmentation to restore strength and stability.
Physical Therapy & Return-to-Sport Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation focuses on restoring motion, strength, balance, proprioception, and sport-specific function.
Minimally Invasive & Arthroscopic Surgery
Selected foot and ankle injuries can be treated using minimally invasive or arthroscopic techniques to address joint pathology while limiting soft-tissue disruption when appropriate.
Fracture & Cartilage Surgery in Athletes
High-risk fractures and cartilage injuries may require surgical treatment designed to restore joint alignment, stability, and a predictable return-to-sport pathway.
Foot & Ankle Patient Resources
What Patients are Saying
Debbie H
“Dr. Desai is the absolute best! He
listens, he cares and he is smart. He explains everything. He is the only surgeon I trusted to do my recent surgery. My husband has had 2 surgeries. Each was straightforward just as he described. Love him!"
Randy W
"The minute Dr. Desai walked into the room to assess my broken ankle for surgery I immediately felt at ease and knew I had just met the right doctor for my needs."
TexasBorn B
“I shattered my heel and got in within three days to talk to Dr Sarang. He is very honest, which I appreciate. He listened and was able to address all the thoughts and questions I didn't even know I had. For me, he decided not to do surgery based on how the bones are line up. To me, that shows the patient's well being means more than doing a surgery I'm sure most would have done.”