Sesamoiditis is a painful condition seen commonly in dancers, runners, and cyclists affecting the underside of the big toe joint.
Sesamoids are two pea-sized bones that are embedded in tendons that run in a groove under the big toe that take up 50% of your body weight as you push off.
Increased pressure on these bones due to altered biomechanics can cause them to become:
- inflamed
- dislocated
- fractured
An x ray will confirm the diagnosis
As seen in the image opposite sometimes these individual bones naturally develop as separate boney entities, where each individual sesamoid appears to have a split across the centre, this is not a fracture but known as a bipartite sesamoid.
Treatment for Sesamoiditis:
- Ice massage
- Orthotics
- Steroid injection
- Footwear alteration
- Surgery
