Osteochondrosis of the medial cuneiform bone as an incidental finding

Abstract

Introduction and importance: Osteochondrosis is a disease described in several bones of the human body. It is a condition that can lead to pain and antalgic gait, although it can also be asymptomatic. The present work aims to report an incidental finding of osteochondrosis that afflicted the medial cuneiform bone.

Case presentation: A 6-year-old boy injured his leg in a road traffic accident and there was no evidence of a fracture line on the dorsal-plantar foot radiograph. However, the findings of marginal irregularity and sclerotic areas were considered to be indicative of osteochondrosis.

Clinical discussion: Osteochondrosis is a self-limiting condition whose most accepted cause is stress injury. The main examination performed for diagnosis is radiography, in which morphological changes can be identified. The early ossification of the cuneiform bones may be related to the rare incidence of cuneiform osteochondrosis in children. Management of symptoms is the most indicated for this condition while surgical treatment is considered to be unnecessary and potentially harmful to the patient.

Conclusion: Osteochondrosis of the cuneiforms is a rare entity that can be found accidentally during radiographic investigations. It is a disease that can spontaneously resolve. Anti-inflammatory drugs and activity reduction are commonly prescribed in symptomatic cases.

Keywords: Medial cuneiform; Necrosis; Osteochondrosis; Radiography.