• 목록

Located in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, near Gangil Station, Seoul Gunwoo Orthopedic Clinic is an orthopedic clinic dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of foot and ankle conditions, including hallux valgus (bunion), ankle ligament injuries, ankle cartilage injuries, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, ankle arthritis, Morton’s neuroma, and bunionette deformity.

Dr. Hong-Joon Choi, the clinic’s director, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with advanced subspecialty training in foot and ankle care. He is a former university hospital professor and also completed a visiting fellowship at the Harvard Foot and Ankle Research Institute, where he continued his academic work in the diagnosis, surgical treatment, and rehabilitation of foot and ankle disorders. Although foot and ankle pain may at first seem like a simple sprain or fatigue, accurate treatment planning often requires a broader evaluation of the ligaments, cartilage, joint alignment, and even gait patterns.

The foot and ankle play an essential role in supporting the body’s weight and allowing us to walk. For that reason, even mild pain or minor deformity should not be overlooked, as it may lead to difficulty walking, repeated injury, or chronic pain over time. In particular, foot problems do not always remain limited to the foot itself. They can also affect the knees, hips, and lower back, which is why early and accurate diagnosis is so important.

Why is specialized foot and ankle care important?

Many foot and ankle disorders may appear similar on the surface, but their underlying causes can be very different. For example, repeated ankle sprains are often dismissed as simple strains, when in fact they may involve ankle ligament tears, chronic ankle instability, or cartilage damage. Likewise, hallux valgus is not simply a matter of a protruding big toe joint. It is often associated with changes in foot alignment, forefoot pain, deformity of the lesser toes, and imbalance while walking. For this reason, proper evaluation should go beyond the site of pain alone and include the structure and alignment of the foot, joint condition, ligament stability, and lifestyle factors.

When does hallux valgus require treatment?

Hallux valgus is a condition in which the big toe gradually deviates outward, causing pain over the prominent joint, irritation from footwear, forefoot fatigue, and discomfort while walking. In the early stages, conservative treatment such as shoe modification, orthotic support, and lifestyle adjustment may be considered. However, when the deformity progresses, pain becomes recurrent, or daily activities are increasingly affected, a more thorough evaluation is needed. Because the severity of deformity, joint flexibility, and associated conditions vary from patient to patient, treatment cannot be standardized in the same way for everyone. Decisions regarding whether surgery is needed, and which surgical method is most appropriate, should be made based on a careful physical examination and X-ray findings.

If you sprain your ankle frequently, should ligament injury be suspected?

If you repeatedly sprain your ankle, feel instability even while walking on level ground, or often experience swelling and pain after activity, it may be necessary to consider the possibility of a lingering ligament injury rather than a simple sprain. In particular, severe swelling, bruising, or significant pain with weight-bearing soon after injury should prompt evaluation for ligament damage or cartilage injury. If treatment is delayed, repeated instability may continue and can eventually lead to chronic pain or joint damage. Early diagnosis is therefore very important.

Why do plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis also require careful evaluation?

Plantar fasciitis often presents as pain in the sole of the foot during the first steps in the morning or after prolonged walking. Achilles tendinitis commonly begins with pain and stiffness above the heel or at the back of the ankle. However, in actual clinical practice, these conditions are often influenced not only by inflammation itself, but also by foot alignment, calf muscle tightness, walking mechanics, and exercise habits. Even when the pain feels similar, the underlying causes may differ, and treatment should be tailored accordingly. Evaluating the overall function of the foot and ankle, rather than focusing only on the painful area, can help reduce the risk of recurrence.

Why should foot and ankle surgery be tailored to each patient?

Foot and ankle surgery is not a field where one single technique guarantees the best outcome for every patient. A successful treatment plan must take into account the patient’s age, activity level, occupation, degree of deformity, joint condition, and expectations for recovery. What matters most is not simply making the incision as small as possible, but choosing the method that is safest and most appropriate for the individual patient while minimizing the risk of recurrence. At Seoul Gunwoo Orthopedic Clinic, decisions about whether conservative treatment is sufficient, whether surgery is necessary, and which approach is most stable are made carefully after a thorough examination and appropriate imaging studies.

What treatment principles does Seoul Gunwoo Orthopedic Clinic value most?

At Seoul Gunwoo Orthopedic Clinic, we believe that the most important starting point in treating foot and ankle disorders is accurate diagnosis. Even when symptoms appear similar, the cause and stage of the condition may be quite different, and treatment should reflect those differences. For that reason, our focus is not only on relieving pain, but also on helping patients clearly understand why they are in pain, what the underlying problem is, and which treatment is most appropriate for their current condition. Even when surgery is necessary, we believe that the quality of treatment depends not only on the operation itself, but also on careful preoperative planning, postoperative care, and a well-structured rehabilitation process.

The goal of foot and ankle treatment is not simply to reduce pain. It is to help patients walk comfortably again and return safely to daily life. That is the true essence of foot and ankle care. At Seoul Gunwoo Orthopedic Clinic, we will continue striving to provide more systematic and accurate care for a wide range of foot and ankle conditions, including hallux valgus, ankle ligament injuries, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendon disorders, and ankle arthritis.

Hong-Joon Choi, M.D., Ph.D. Director, Seoul Gunwoo Orthopedic Clinic

• Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon

• Subspecialty: Foot and Ankle Surgery

• Former Professor, University Hospital

• Research Fellow, Foot & Ankle Research Innovation Lab (FARIL), Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School