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Chirurgia del Piede 2011 April;35(1):11-7

Copyright © 2011 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Foot osteochondroses

Scarfì G. ¹, Veneziani C. ¹, Bardelli M. ²

¹ First Orthopedic Clinic, CTO University, Florence, Italy 2 O.C. S.M. Annunziata Firenze, Florence, Italia

Osteochondrosis is an uncommon syndrome characterized by an alteration of endochondral ossification, condrogenesis and osteogenesis during bone growth in adolescents. Any bone in the body may be involved but pathologies of lower limbs which can cause functional limitations in gait have always been a main object of study. It appears from literature that in 1000 patients reviewed, osteochondroses in lower limbs have been involved in 80% of the cases and that 28% concerned the foot. Based on the classification proposed by Siffert (who differentiates between articular and non articular types) and on a review of the literature, a definition is given in this paper of the etiopathogenetic theories most commonly accepted today. Furthermore the most appropriate treatment is discussed and the benign evolution in time of this syndrome is confirmed. Particular attention is given to treatment proposed for metatarsal head osteochondrosis, the only articular form, among the osteochondroses of the foot, which often leaves sequelae in time.