Management of Metatarsalgia Secondary to Biomechanical Disorders

Metatarsalgia is defined as pain in the anterior segment of the foot.1 Viladot stated that it is one of the most common types of pain.2 Symptoms of metatarsalgia include: pain and tenderness of the plantar surface of the heads of the metatarsal bones or of the metatarsophalangeal joint,3 development of callus under the prominent metatarsal heads,4 and increased pain during the mid-stance and propulsion phases of walking as body weight is shifted forward onto the forefoot. Patients often will omit the propulsion phase from the walking cycle to reduce the degree of pain. The most frequent cause of metatarsalgia is an alteration of the normal biomechanical functioning of the forefoot.2 Metatarsalgia also can occur secondarily to a traumatic episode or a systemic condition including rheumatoid arthritis, neurological disease, and vascular disease.5,6