Synonyms
Ball-of-foot pain.
Definition
Pain in the metatarsal region of the foot, just proximal to the toes. Can be caused from local causes, including improperly fitting footwear with a narrow toe box or flattening of the arch of the foot. Since metatarsalgia may be more a symptom than a diagnosis, serious causes of metatarsalgia include inflammatory arthritidies, including rheumatoid arthritis, and stress fracture of the metatarsal heads (march fracture).
Differential Diagnosis
Morton's neuroma; sesamoiditis; charcot arthropathy; osteomyelitis.
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References
Anderson B (1999) Office Orthopedics for Primary Care: Diagnosis and Treatment, 2nd ed. W B Saunders, Philadelphia
Chowchuen P, Resnick D (1998) Stress fractures of the metatarsal heads. Skeletal Radiol 27(1):22–5
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© 2004 Springer-Verlag
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(2004). Metatarsalgia. In: Moreland, L.W. (eds) Rheumatology and Immunology Therapy. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-29662-X_1809
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-29662-X_1809
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-20625-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-29662-1
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