Abstract
Freiberg disease is a rare condition whose diagnosis requires a high clinical suspicion.
Avascular necrosis of the metatarsal head progresses with articular collapse, leading
to forefoot pain and limitation of the daily activities.
Several surgical techniques have been described to address the disease, and since
it is usually diagnosed in later-stages, most of them include joint-destructive procedures.
The use of arthroscopy on the small joint of the foot has arisen in the last few years,
but its application in Freiberg disease is still scant. Joint-preserving procedures
have been advocated for cases of early-stage disease, aiming to relieve symptoms while
preventing the progression of the disease.
In the present report, we describe a successful treatment of a 12-year-old patient
with early-stage Freiberg disease using core decompression and bone marrow graft through
a minimally-invasive approach assisted by arthroscopy.
Keywords
foot - metatarsal bones - arthroscopy
