Metatarsus

The metatarsus is five long bones of the foot. They are analogous to the metacarpals of the hand and are numbered from the medial side from first to fifth.

Anatomy of the Metatarsus

The metatarsus bones consist of:

• First metatarsal bone - This is the bone in the body of the foot just behind the big toe. It is short and of great thickness. The body of the first metatarsus is strong and is in prosmoid form,
• Second metatarsal bone - This is the longest of the metatarsal bones. Its base is broad above, narrow and rough below.
• Third metatarsal bone - It articulates proximally, by means of a triangular smooth surface, with the third cuneiform; medially, by two facets, with the second metatarsal; and laterally, by a single facet, with the fourth metatarsal.
• Fourth metatarsal bone - Is smaller in size than the third; its base presents an oblique quadrilateral surface for articulation with the cuboid, and
• Fifth metatarsal bone - Recognised by a rough eminence, the tuberosity, on the lateral side of its base.

The first metatarsal articulates with the first cuneiform, the second with all three cuneiforms. The third metatarsal connects with the third cuneiform, the fourth with the third cuneiform and the cuboid and the fifth metatarsal with the cuboid.
Common problems with Metatarsus

With the advent of modern lightweight design of football boots and shoes, broken metatarsals are very common with football players. In fact breaking the second metatarsal is commonly called the Beckham bone due to a tackle on David Beckham playing for Manchester United.

Stress fractures are also very common and thought to account for 16% of sports related injuries. These are also known as march fractures as they are commonly diagnosed among military recruits after long marches.

Some of the common types of metatarsal fractures include:

• Avulsion fractures - Occur when the tip of the bone is pulled of the fifth metarsal by the tendon that attaches to this region. These tend to heal easily in a cast,
• Jones fracture - These occur just beyond the avulsion fractures. These are more difficult and may require immobilization, crutches and sometimes surgery, and
• Stress fractures of the fifth metatarsal - Are the hardest to heal and may require surgery. If not treated well, stress fractures can become complete breaks so medical attention is required.

Bookmark this:

Bookmark this page