Brachymetatarsia

When a patient experiences brachymetatarsia, what this means is that they have an unusually short metatarsal bone. These are the bones in the toes. The result is a toe that is farther back than the others or overlaps the others. Drs. Frank J. Killian and Sameep Chandrani offer treatment for brachymetatarsia at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC.


 


The biggest symptom and indicator of brachymetatarsia is problems with balance. Your toes are crucial to your equilibrium. When you have one toe that is shorter, your body dynamics are thrown off. You may have difficulty properly balancing or transferring weight across the toes when walking or running.


 


The most common treatment for this is extra padding in the shoe. This will protect the feet from friction and pressure resulting from the brachymetatarsia. Drs. Killian and Chandrani also provide shoe orthotics to patients. These are often used for treatment as well. In more severe cases, a surgical graft of the shortened metatarsal bone is done.


 


If left untreated, you will continue to experience pain and discomfort. Painful calluses can form on the feet due to the uneven pressure. Gradual lengthening is another treatment method offered in certain cases. An external fixator will slowly pull the parts of the metatarsal apart at a very slow rate. This will be done until the toe reaches an average length.


 


Drs. Frank J. Killian and Sameep Chandrani are available for appointment by scheduling online or by calling. Mercer-Ocean Podiatry, PC is located in two locations in NJ. To reach our Toms River office, call 732-557-4266. To reach our Mercerville/Hamilton Township office, call 609-585-3200.

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