Inter Metatarsal Bursits

Bursitis in the foot might not be as often discussed as muscle, tendon, and ligament ailments, but bursitis is a actually a common cause of foot discomfort and pain. The average human body has about 160 bursae. Most of these are located near the major joints in the body, especially joints that perform frequent repetitive motions.

Foot Anatomy As It Relates To Bursitis

A bursa is a fluid-filled cushioning sac. They are located near tendons, ligaments, skin, and muscles that would otherwise rub directly across the surface of a bone. The bursae (plural for bursa) are very important to prevent friction, absorb shock, and decrease the wear and tear between moving structures. Think of a bursa as a piece of bubble wrap that secretes a slimy substance similar to the consistency of an egg white. Aside from the usual number of bursae found in the human body, additional bursae may develop whenever they’re needed. In other words, if an area in the foot is subjected to a great deal of stress that causes additional friction between soft tissue and bone, then additional bursa may form.

There are multiple bursae located in the forefoot area. The metatarsal bursae are located on the bottom of the foot near the base of the toes. Metatarsal bursitis most often affects the second metatarsal head (the toe next to the big toe). The metatarsophalangeal bursa is located near the base of the big toe on the inner aspect of the foot. There are also many tiny bursae that are located between the metatarsal bones in the intermetatarsal spaces, thus the term intermetatarsal bursitis is used to describe this type of bursitis.

This photo depicts the 3rd and 4th  It is between the 2nd, 3rd or 4th metatarsals that Inter metatarsal bursitis is most often found.

Pain can be acute

The Common Digital Nerve as it runs between the metatarsals  can also be affected creating symptoms similar to morton’s neuroma

The development of a bursa between the metatarsal heads.

This photo demonstrates a bursa in its relationship just beneath the Deep Transverse Intermetatarsal ligament.