HOW MANY BONES ARE IN YOUR FOOT?

HOW MANY BONES ARE IN YOUR FOOT?
By Dr. Sharon Joag

Did you know that you have 26 bones in your foot alone? Some say that we have 28 bones. The two extra bones that are counted are under the (1st Metatarsal Head), or the ball of the foot. They are called sesamoid bones.

These two tiny bones in our feet can cause us extreme pain, especially if we are engaging in certain types of athletic activities.

Have you ever had pain when you move your big toe, especially when you move it up?

Have you ever had pain and swelling at the ball of your foot when standing, walking, running or jumping?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then there maybe something wrong with the sesamoid bones in your foot.

One of the most common injuries of the sesamoid bones is Turf toe. Turf toe is essentially the jamming of the big toe into the 1st metatarsal head. When this happens, the capsule tears around the 1st Metatarsalphalangeal Joint, or the Joint at the base of the big toe. When the capsule tears, it is extremely painful and could cause joint dislocation or instability. Turf toe is the result of injuries caused by jumping, especially in soccer or basketball.

Another injury is sesamoiditis, or an inflammation of the sesamoid bones. Since the sesamoid bones are at the ball of the foot, any stress placed on this area, especially repeated stress near the big toe can cause pain. Typically, Sesamoiditis occurs in runners as they have constant pressure on the balls of their feet. In fact, some runners relate that they “only run on ‘their’ toes”. Sports that involve jumping can also bring on Sesamoiditis. Jumping injuries typically involve Basketball players and Football players. Another big group of people Sesamoiditis affects are dancers. Dancers, ballet and otherwise spend a great deal of time on their toes and on the balls of their feet. Many dancers, other than ballet dancers wear high heels while dancing. Wearing high heels can also contribute to sesamoiditis.

If the sesamoid bone is split in two, it is called a bipartite sesamoid. Some people are born with bipartite sesamoid bones. Even though the two bones are not broken, with repeated stress to the area, with running, walking, jumping, (or any activity which places stress on the ball of the foot) the bipartite sesamoid may rub on each other, causing some pain and inflammation.

Sometimes the sesamoid bones may actually fracture. This occurs by landing hard on the ball of the foot from a certain height. A sesamoid stress fracture occurs from overuse. It can occur from a constant pressure or pounding on the ball of the foot over time.

If you experience any symptoms of pain and swelling at the ball of the foot, or pain when you lift up your big toe, it is important for you to see your doctor. Your Podiatrist will take an Xray to see if you have a sesamoid fracture or any other injury of the sesamoids, such as Turf toe. Your

Podiatrist will be able to recommend a treatment plan, based on your injury.