Intermetatarsal Coalition: Case Report, Literature Review, and Imaging Findings of an Underrecognized and Underdiagnosed Cause of Foot Pain

Abstract

Coalition is defined as abnormal bridging between two bones, and the connection can be osseous or nonosseous. Most coalitions in the foot involve the hindfoot. Intermetatarsal coalition is thought to be much rarer than the more common hindfoot coalitions and has only been reported sporadically in the orthopedic literature. We present two patients with nonosseous intermetatarsal coalition presenting with nonspecific dorsolateral foot pain and describe the imaging findings of intermetatarsal coalition with different modalities. We suspect that whilst rarely described, intermetatarsal coalition is quite likely a more common underrecognized entity than a rare entity. This report is aimed at increasing the awareness of coalition in this location, in the radiology community, particularly the nonosseous ones, given that this condition can be debilitating but treatable.