Avascular Necrosis of Metatarsal Head(s): Long-Term Care

How did he diagnose avascular necrosis? is your second toe longer than the first? Sure avascular necrosis is associated with steroid use but if you're not on them now it is likely MTP joint stress syndrome or synovitis. I'm suffering from that to. Really hurts with the first steps in the morning and first steps of a run. 60-80 mpw is a fair amount so overuse injury wouldn't be surprising (to me).

My podiatrist built up my orthotics on both sides of the MTP joint, but now they are too bulky to get in my shoes. I should go back & get himm to work on getting them smaller. He also recommended Brooks Pure Flow or Pure Grit as a good cushioning shoe and those have helped a lot. I also built up the insole with tape to take some load off the mtp joint.

I also notice my second toe is drifting inward (toward the big toe), so I experimented with taping the middle and 2nd toe together to pull the second one over. I actually think this helps so you could try that. Also lots of ice after running helps, I think.

They diagnosed it using Xray's, yes the 2nd toe is longer than the first. Also, I have a rather large calcium buildup directly behind the 2nd metatarsal head which, the doctor said/assumed, was the result of quite a few multiple fractures to the bone resulting from the joints weakened structural ability.

60-80 mpw is a lot by the average Joe's standards, but considering I had previously logged consistent 100-125 mile weeks for extended periods of time, it's crazy to find myself getting/staying injured off right around half that amount.

Thanks for the info/tips. I'm scheduled to see a different podiatrist (2nd opinion, hopefully more aggressive approach than, "Take some time off and see if it feels better"). Thanks again!

Hi, any updates on your injury? I was recently diagnosed with Avascular Necrosis at my navicular bone. Is surgery required or does it recovers on its own? I was running around 100-120miles before this injury by the way.

You need to know about the autologous stem cell procedure that can now be use to successfully treat AVN. It is unorthodox and most doctors are not aware of it, but it works. The doctor drills out the dead bone, then fills the cavity with a combination of ground up healthy bone tissue (to serve as a scaffold), mesenchymal stem cells extracted from your bone marrow, and growth factors to stimulate the cells to lay down new bone. The procedure regenerates the dead region with healthy bone tissue. Visit the Regenexx website to learn more:

http://www.regenexx.com/recent-results/avascular-necrosis-case-results/

I received their cultured stem cell treatment for my osteoarthritis and it worked amazing well when nothing else did.

A six week period? You're lucky you didn't bleed to death.

Any update? Did you resolve it with PT, surgery, etc.? I've had this diagnosed w/ xray and am getting MRI to confirm.

Avascular necrosis is not something to sneeze at. It could be mild, but often you might end up with porous bones or in the case of my relative, the talus bone totally collapsed. She had 4 operations to try and stabilize her ankle and the end result was not great, as the fusion didn't take hold the first 3 surgeries. She also had knee and hip issues with avascular necrosis, but fortunately, those areas are in remission, and after initial damage, none was forth coming. She was on high doses of Prednisone due to asthma, on at least 3 occasions, and has been using inhalers since the age of 2.

You don't want to see a podiatrist. She did and the guy never bothered to even look at her x-rays, just put in some ugly inserts that were useless. See a specialist who has done lots of surgeries with Avascular necrosis and or has a strong background in this type of problem.