Legal battle rages over whether ankles exist

[flashl]

AUSTIN – For every foot, there's an ankle. Or not.

In Texas, that all depends on a legal battle between medical doctors and podiatrists, who both claim the ankle as their turf. The debate has raged to the point that the two sides disagree in court on whether the ankle actually exists.

A legal jam: The state law that defines podiatry does not include a foot definition, so the Texas State Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners in 2001 defined the ankle as part of the foot. Then-Attorney General John Cornyn rejected that, but a Travis County judge sided with podiatrists.

Toeing the line: The Texas 3rd Court of Appeals ruled Friday that the state board exceeded its authority. The Texas Medical Association interprets the ruling as saying ankles and feet are separate. The Texas Podiatric Medical Association plans to appeal.

Here's the rub: Orthopedists must complete four years of medical school, plus a one-year internship and a four-year residency. Podiatrists must complete four years of podiatry school and an internship of at least one year.

Dallas News

[kestrel91316]

1. The ankle is adjacent to the foot, not a part of it,

But we wouldn't want to trouble some Texas judge with such common sense......

[Warpy]

2. Depends on how you look at it

Personally, I think anything at or below the tarsal bones belong to podiatry and anything above the tarsal bones belongs to orthopedists and the joint between them can belong to a rheumatologist.

We stand on our tarsal bones at the back off the foot. Orthopedists want to describe a foot as metatarsals and phalanges, alone.

I think they're SOL on that account.

[Orrex]

5. I love it when you talk all medical and stuff

I never metatarsal I didn't like.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

6. Now that's funny!!

illegal codesmilie_remote(':rofl:')

David

[LeftishBrit]

7. A few years ago, a sample of British children were given a spelling test..

They performed pretty badly overall, but most of them could spell 'metatarsal', because David Beckham had broken his and it was all over our media!

[meegbear]

3. First creationism vs. evolution in schools, now this ...

does the ankle exist or did it evolve from the leg? Or the foot?

[LeftishBrit]

4. The foot bone connected to the ankle bone

The ankle bone connected to the leg bone
The leg bone connected to the knee bone
Them bones gonna rise!