Removal Of Accessory Navicular Bone Recovery

Overview
An accessory navicular bone is a common finding on many foot x-rays. Most accessory naviculars are asymptomatic. However, in some patients the prominent bone on the inside of foot will create discomfort, which leads to difficulty with shoe fitting. Alternatively, the fibrous union between the navicular bone and the ?extra? accessory part may become irritated and cause discomfort. Diagnosis is completed through physical examination and plain x-rays of the foot. Treatment is usually non-operative, often including a change in shoe wear and activity modification. However, patients that have ongoing symptoms once non-surgical treatments are tried, often consider surgery to remove the prominent accessory navicular and, if necessary, reattach the posterior tibial tendon.



Causes
Just having an accessory navicular bone is not necessarily a bad thing. Not all people with these accessory bones have symptoms. Symptoms arise when the accessory navicular is overly large or when an injury disrupts the fibrous tissue between the navicular and the accessory navicular. A very large accessory navicular can cause a bump on the instep that rubs on your shoe causing pain.

Symptoms
The majority of people with an accessory navicular experience no symptoms, since, for the most part, the little extra bone simply isn?t large enough to cause problems. Unfortunately, some people lose on ?accessory navicular roulette,? skate shoes airwalk and the bone begins to mess things up with the foot. These problems usually show up sometime in adolescence, when bones and cartilage in the body are settling into their final shapes (although occasionally people make it all the way through childhood, only to start experiencing discomfort and pain in adulthood).

Diagnosis
Diagnosis starts by speaking with the patient about symptoms. The physician will look at the foot and examine it for signs of an accessory navicular. By putting pressure on the area, the doctor may determine its presence simply by the presence of pain. The muscle, joint, and the overall structure of the foot may be considered, as well as the way in which the patient walks. If a diagnosis of accessory navicular syndrome is made, an X-ray or MRI may be ordered to confirm diagnosis.

Non Surgical Treatment
Ideally, getting rid of the symptoms of accessory navicular syndrome will involve soothing the inflammation and irritation in your foot. So, for starters, your podiatrist may have you rest the area, allowing the inflamed tendon and bone to heal. This may be accomplished by wearing a cast or boot designed to keep you from moving the problem area. Your podiatrist may also suggest using ice to reduce the swelling and inflammation, and anti-inflammatory medications (like ibuprofen, or sometimes a cortisone shot or other steroid medication).



Surgical Treatment
Once the navicular inflammation has lessened it is not necessary to perform surgery unless the foot becomes progressively flatter or continues to be painful. For these children, surgery can completely correct the problem by removing the accessory navicular bone and tightening up the posterior tibial tendon that attaches to the navicular bone. The strength of this tendon is integral to the success of this surgery as well as the arch of the foot. Following surgery the child is able to begin walking on the foot (in a cast) at approximately two weeks. The cast is worn for an additional four weeks. A small soft ankle support brace is then put into the shoe and worn with activities and exercise for a further two months.