Internationally recognised as a leading researcher in foot health, Professor Hylton Menz is working to better understand and improve foot conditions in older people.
“Foot pain in older people is incredibly common, but it is often overlooked,” he says. “It is linked to reduced mobility, difficulty carrying out everyday activities and increased falls. Older people with foot pain also have an increased risk of depressive symptoms.”
As Australia’s population ages, the impact is set to grow. Despite this, Professor Menz says effective non-surgical treatments for foot pain are limited.
His research has played a key role in addressing this gap, shaping contemporary understanding of foot health and setting the agenda for research and clinical practice worldwide. His work spans foot osteoarthritis, hallux valgus and other age-related foot disorders.
Professor Menz has developed tools that have been adopted by clinicians and researchers globally, including a radiographic atlas for foot osteoarthritis, which provided the first unified framework for research and clinical classification.
His research also extends beyond the clinic, including work on footwear designed to improve balance in older women.
Professor Menz is now conducting research into lifestyle risk factors, disease burden and pain trajectories in musculoskeletal foot disorders.
“There are currently no large-scale, contemporary datasets to help us answer critical questions about these conditions. Furthermore, clinical trials need to be conducted to determine which interventions are effective for musculoskeletal foot disorders in older people.”
Addressing these challenges, he says, has the potential to significantly improve the prevention and treatment of foot pain in older people, delivering substantial benefits not only for individuals, but also for the health system.
