Accessory Bones

There are some bones in the human body that don’t come as standard equipment for each of us. Those that are inconsistent with our development are known as accessory bones. They can occur at a number of places in the foot but there are a few hotspots where they commonly appear. This includes the Os Trigonum, Os Vesalianum, and Os Tibialae Externum. Os Trigonum is located in the back of the heel, on the outward portion of the talus bone. Os Vesalianum is located on the base of the fifth metatarsal and Os Tibialae Externum is located under the navicular bone, on the inward part of the foot.

For most of these accessory bones, they mainly go undetected however a few do become symptomatic and can be identified by x-ray or CT imaging. The Os Tibialae Externum can become inflamed and is known as Accessory Navicular Syndrome. This extra bone lump along the arch can be a bother because of how it rubs on shoewear. Also, feet with this condition are invariably flat. It is this flat-footedness that usually brings patients in for an evaluation. So how can your podiatrist help you? First your doctor may treat the inflammation with medications, rest, ice, compression or elevation. Once the inflammation goes away, a specialized orthotic can be constructed to support the flat foot and to pad or protect the edge of the accessory bone. For more severe cases, surgery may be recommended to correct the problem. For problems with these or any of your other bones, come by and see Dr.Grimm or Dr.Pattison.