Pain after Fusion
by Patty
I had a 1st MTP fusion on January 25, 2010 and am still having pain. The pain is on the plantar area below big toe. My doctor (a foot and ankle OS who left the area to return to Wisconsin) says the fusion is healing well and looks good. The bone shows good healing. I asked him about pain this far out and he says it is my foot getting adjusted to the fusion. He also says this is my 2nd surgery and will take more time. I had a Austin bunionectomy and shortening of second metatarsal on April 8 ,2008. After that, I had pain in the sesmoids (wrote in before on this) and developed arthritis in the joint. Got several options and opted for fusion instead of removing the sesmoid. Had PT for 3 weeks which consisted of whirlpool, massage, and ultrasound. Please advise. This is ruining my life. Thank you. Hi Patty, Sometimes the more surgery you have, the more complicated the problem becomes. The first thing that comes to mind based on where you state your pain is occurring, would be the angle that the big toe was fused at, relative to the first metatarsal bone. If the pain is occurring on the bottom of the big toe then I would suspect that the angle may not be great enough and you are putting too much pressure on the big toe when you walk. If the pain is further back then it might be your sesamoids that are being irritated. If that is the case then having one removed might not be an issue since your big toe is fused and therefore could not deviate left or right. There are probably inserts that could be added to your shoes to better distribute you body weight as you walk, but you would have to see a local doctor for an evaluation. Since your surgeon has left the area it might not be a bad idea to get another opinion. Marc Mitnick DPM
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