The sesamoid bones are two very small bones under the big toe joint. They kind of function like two mini knee caps which help the tendons be better levers to move the joint: Sesamoiditis is a painful inflammation of the structures around the sesamoid bones. The location of these two bones make them particularly prone…
Read MoreMetatarsal pads or domes are a useful tool to help a number of foot problems, such as metatarsalgia, plantar plate problems, toe deformities and Morton’s neuroma. They do tend to work really well if they are placed correctly and not work very well if they are placed in the wrong place. You can see in…
Read MoreA Morton’s neuroma is a painful condition that can typically causes some shooting pains and numbness between the toes. It is due to an impingement of the nerves between the metatarsal heads. It can occur between any of the metatarsal heads, but is most common between the 3rd and 4th metatarsal heads: The most commonly…
Read More‘Metatarsalgia‘ is not really a useful term nor is it a diagnosis. It simply means ‘pain’ (‘-algia‘) in the ‘forefoot’ or ‘ball of the foot’ (‘metatars-‘) and that pain could be due to a number of very different and distinct conditions. This could be due to anything from a stress fracture of the bone to…
Read MoreFreiberg’s disease or Freiberg’s infarction is a painful problem of the lesser metatarsophalangeal joints in the foot, most commonly the second next to the big toe joint. It typically causes the joint to flatten and collapse like a crushed eggshell (see the x-ray above). It is more common between the ages of 11 to 17…
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