title: Results of excision of the interdigital nerve in the treatment of Morton's metatarsalgia.
abstract: Thirty-one patients (thirty-two feet) had excision of the interdigital nerve as treatment of their Morton's metatarsalgia. A longitudinal dorsal incision was used in all cases. Twenty-five out of 32 cases had a macroscopically visible neuroma, and only two had no evidence of a neuroma on histological examination. All thirty-two patients were available for follow-up at an average of 44.7 months (range 14 to 71 months) postoperatively. Eighty-one per cent of the patients had a good or excellent result, 12.5% had a fair result, with residual pain and some restriction of activities, and 6.5% had no improvement after their operation. It is noteworthy that 19 patients (60%) benefitted from wearing adapted shoes or inner soles for a considerable time after the operation. Even at final follow-up, only 10 patients (30%) had no restrictions in the choice of their shoes.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Pellenberg, Department of Orthopedics, K.U. Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dereymaeker
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schroven
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steenwerckx
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stuer
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008683:Metatarsophalangeal Joint / Q000294:innervation*; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000209:etiology; D009463:Neuroma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000601:surgery; D010524:Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*