Freiberg병의 수술적 치료

Surgical Treatment of Freiberg's Disease

Freiberg's disease is a pathologic condition of the second or third metatarsal head, rarely the forth or fifth metatarsal head, and it becomes abnormally enlarge due to avascular necrosis of subchondral cancellous bone. From Nov. 1982 to Sep. 1994, we treated surgically 10 cases of the disease who complained the continuous symptoms inspite of proper conservative management. Metatarsal head excision was done in 8 cases and resurfacing of the cartilagenous portion of the metatarsal head in 2 cases. During the average follow up of 55 months, the pain was relieved in all patients who were underwent surgical intervention but the stiffness of the metatarsophalangeal joint was remained in most of cases. It seems to be a logical treatment of choice in younger and active patients that conservative management is the initial treatment but more ablative procedure is needed for the continued symptoms. We can propose the metatarsal head excision or resurfacing of the involved joint is effective treatment method with simple procedure and minimize morbid period than other procedures such as corrective osteotomy.