The naviculocuneiform (NC) joint is located in the middle of the foot. It consists of four bones: the tarsal navicular and the medial, middle, and lateral cuneiforms.
The main reason to perform NC joint fusion is to relieve pain related to arthritis. Arthritic joints in the midfoot typically occur after trauma to that region or as part of a collapsing foot arch. When a joint is…
The flexor digitorum longus (FDL) is one of the tendons responsible for bending the toes down to the floor. The goals of a FDL tendon transfer surgery are to relieve pain and to help restore the arch in patients with painful fallen arches. A fallen arch occurs when the foot loses its support and flattens out, generally due to weakening of tendons and ligaments in the foot.
The metatarsals are the long bones in the foot that connect the toes to the midfoot. The metatarsals are numbered one through five, starting with the big toe. So the second metatarsal is the long bone of the second toe.
A second metatarsal shortening osteotomy is a procedure that cuts and shortens the second metatarsal. The goal of shortening the metatarsal is to decrease pain at the…
Fusion is locking the bones together. A triple arthrodesis is a fusion in the hindfoot (back of the foot) used to treat many types of painful foot deformities. This procedure fuses the joints under the ankle that allow the foot to move from side to side. These joints are the talonavicular, subtalar, and calcaneocuboid.
Surgeons try to avoid fusions, but sometimes pain and deformity are…