Metatarsalgia: diagnosis and treatment.

Metatarsalgia is a symptom, not a diagnosis. A careful study of ninety-eight patients who had complaints of pain in the fore part of the foot revealed twenty-three distinct diagnoses. These diagnoses were grouped as primary metatarsalgia, secondary metatarsalgia, and pain under the fore part of the foot. This division assisted in determining the form of nonoperative or operative treatment. The use of a pressure-sensitive cholesterol-crystal force-plate analysis or intra-articular or digital nerve blocks was helpful both in accurately pinpointing abnormal pressures and in determining whether operative treatment had been effective. Unexpected problems occurring after metatarsal surgery may be preventable in the future.