Midfoot Arthritis

Pain in the midfoot or along the arch of the foot can occur with arthritic changes at the midfoot joints. This can occur after previous injury (such as Lisfranc injury) or collapse of the arch of the foot, it can also occur due to inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Because there are many joints in close proximity, it can often be difficult to determine the exact location of the problem based on examination and X-rays alone. For this reason patients often undergo CT/MRI scans and sometimes injections into specific joints to localise the source of pain.

Figure 1: the Tarsometatarsal (TMT) joints are typically affected in midfoot arthritis

Treatment options:

Non operative treatment

  • Physiotherapy and weight loss if applicable

  • Modification of shoes to minimise motion at the midfoot joints – such as a rocker bottom (e.g. HOKA) or custom insoles

  • Injections under radiology guidance

 

Operative treatment

  • Surgical treatment is indicated when other non surgical treatment has failed and symptoms persist.

Surgeries performed for this condition include: