Dealing With Metatarsal Health Problems

January 15th, 2010 | Author:

Joaquin Costa asked:

I broke my bones a few years ago, so I decided to write this article about Metatarsalgia and broken metatarsals. To start let’s define that metatarsalgia is coined as a term to indicate any pain which can be experienced in the metatarsal region of the foot. Literally, the term means “pain in the metatarsal area”.

Metatarsalgia after excision of the metatarsal head for Freiberg’s infarction remains an unresolved problem. We carried out an elongation osteotomy of the metatarsal shaft in two patients, who developed metatarsalgia after excision of the metatarsal head for Freiberg’s infarction. Metatarsal bones are long and slender bones found in between the Tarsal bone and the Phalanges. There are 5 Metatarsal bones in each foot.

Metatarsalgia is often highlighted by tremendous pain that are persistent and worsen after long period of physical activities. This is followed by numbness or tingling in the toes that eventually worsens even when you rest and relax your feet. Metatarsal fractures are usually caused by the blow of a heavy object dropped onto the forefoot or by a twisting injury. Fractures of the shaft can be caused by twisting of the body with the toes fixed, applying torque to the foot.

Metatarsal stress fracture may not become apparent on x-rays until a few weeks after the injury. Metatarsal stress fractures were first described in 1855 and termed “march fractures” since they commonly occurred in military recruits. Metatarsal fractures range from very minor to severe injuries. It depends on the pattern of injury and the amount of displacement of the fracture.

Bone gives our bodies support and structure, it protects our many vital organs and it acts as a reservoir for the important minerals we need every day. Let’s say we start to work out at the gym. Bone is composed of a network of collagen fibres impregnated with mineral salts (largely calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate), a combination that gives it great density and strength, comparable in some cases with that of reinforced concrete. Enclosed within this solid matrix are bone cells, blood vessels, and nerves.

Stress fractures of the proximal fifth metatarsal must be distinguished from proximal avulsion fractures (”pseudo-Jones” fractures) and Jones fractures. The proximal avulsion fracture is usually associated with a lateral ankle strain and occurs at the insertion of the peroneus brevis tendon. Stress fractures of the fifth metatarsal are also common within the athletic community. There are often low-grade symptoms with activity that can last weeks prior to the diagnosis of fracture, which usually presents as an acute increase in pain. Stress fractures are thought to account for 16% of injuries related to sports preparation, and the metatarsals are most often involved. These fractures are commonly called march fractures, as they are commonly diagnosed among military recruits after long marches.

Fractures at the front part of the foot include metatarsal and toe fractures. These are the most common foot and ankle fractures that we see. Fractures to the fifth metatarsal base are thought to occur in different ways. The “acute” type of fracture, meaning a sudden, severe fracture, or one with a rapid onset, happens all at once from one single, forceful incident. Although is a hard fracture to deal with, thereis hope and I really hope this info has been helpful .