TY - JOUR

T1 - Diagnostic Considerations of Intermetatarsal Bursitis

T2 - A Systematic Review

AU - Larsen, Sif Binder

AU - Søgaard, Stinne Byrholdt

AU - Nielsen, Michael Bachmann

AU - Torp-Pedersen, Søren Tobias

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Intermetatarsal bursitis (IMB) is an inflammation of the intermetatarsal bursas. The condition causes forefoot pain with symptoms similar to those of Morton’s neuroma (MN). Some studies suggest that IMB is a contributing factor to the development of MN, while others describe the condition as a differential diagnosis. Among patients with rheumatic diseases, IMB is frequent, but the scope is yet to be understood. The aim of this paper was to investigate the diagnostic considerations of IMB and its role in metatarsalgia by a systematic review approach. We identified studies about IMB by searching the electronic databases Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science in September 2022. Of 1362 titles, 28 met the inclusion criteria. They were subdivided according to topic: anatomical studies (n = 3), studies of patients with metatarsalgia (n = 10), and studies of patients with rheumatic diseases (n = 15). We conclude that IMB should be considered a cause of pain in patients with metatarsalgia and patients with rheumatic diseases. For patients presenting with spreading toes/V-sign, IMB should be a diagnostic consideration. Future diagnostic studies about MN should take care to apply a protocol that is able to differ IMB from MN, to achieve a better understanding of their respective role in forefoot pain.

AB - Intermetatarsal bursitis (IMB) is an inflammation of the intermetatarsal bursas. The condition causes forefoot pain with symptoms similar to those of Morton’s neuroma (MN). Some studies suggest that IMB is a contributing factor to the development of MN, while others describe the condition as a differential diagnosis. Among patients with rheumatic diseases, IMB is frequent, but the scope is yet to be understood. The aim of this paper was to investigate the diagnostic considerations of IMB and its role in metatarsalgia by a systematic review approach. We identified studies about IMB by searching the electronic databases Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science in September 2022. Of 1362 titles, 28 met the inclusion criteria. They were subdivided according to topic: anatomical studies (n = 3), studies of patients with metatarsalgia (n = 10), and studies of patients with rheumatic diseases (n = 15). We conclude that IMB should be considered a cause of pain in patients with metatarsalgia and patients with rheumatic diseases. For patients presenting with spreading toes/V-sign, IMB should be a diagnostic consideration. Future diagnostic studies about MN should take care to apply a protocol that is able to differ IMB from MN, to achieve a better understanding of their respective role in forefoot pain.

KW - bursitis

KW - forefoot bursa

KW - forefoot pain: metatarsalgia

KW - intermetatarsal bursitis

KW - Morton’s neuroma

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85146759325&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/diagnostics13020211

DO - 10.3390/diagnostics13020211

M3 - Review

C2 - 36673020

AN - SCOPUS:85146759325

VL - 13

JO - Diagnostics

JF - Diagnostics

SN - 2075-4418

IS - 2

M1 - 211

ER -