Rare cause of foot pain: Osseous coalition of the third metatarsal and lateral cuneiform

Abstract

Tarsometatarsal osseous coalition is extremely rare. Herein, we present a case of osseous coalition between the base of the third metatarsal and the lateral cuneiform. The patient is a 38-year-old male who presented with an acute episode of foot pain following strenuous activity. Radiographs of the left foot demonstrated an osseous coalition between the third metatarsal base and the lateral cuneiform. Tarsal coalition is a congenital defect that results when adjacent tarsals fail to separate during embryonic development. According to the literature, total osseous coalition is less common than cartilaginous coalition. This case serves as only the second known documented case of osseous coalition between the third metatarsal and the lateral cuneiform, with the first case published in an orthopedic journal. To our knowledge, no case of third metatarsal-lateral cuneiform coalition has been published in the literature otherwise. The intent of this publication is to add to the database of tarsometatarsal coalition cases with a specific emphasis on bony coalition between the third metatarsal and lateral cuneiform.