Freiberg’s disease was named after Dr. Alfred H. Freiberg, who first described it in 1914. It involves osteonecrosis of the second or third metatarsal (MT) head bone resulting in infarction and fracture.
In addition, the disease includes epiphyseal ischemia at the initial stage followed by progression to absorption of cancellous bone, the collapse of the articular cartilage, and ultimately arthritis. Epidemiology (i) Demographics Female to male ratio: ~ 4:1 Mostly observed in patients aged 13-18 years (10% of the cases are bilaterally involved) More common in female adolescent athletes (ii) Anatomic location Most often observed in the 2nd MT head (68%), particularly the dorsal aspect and 3rd metatarsal (27%) Cases involving 4th MT are about 3%, and 5th MT is rarely affected. Etiology & Pathophysiology Freiberg’s disease is generally caused by a loss of blood supply (because of…
