AVN Sesamoid: Email Advice

Hi Dr. Blake,

I’m so happy to have found your blog and YouTube videos, and I hope you can provide some insight and guidance for my situation:

About me: 38 y/o female, chemistry professor by day, professional belly dancer by night and aspiring amateur Muay Thai fighter all day, every day (thai kickboxing).

History: late in 2019, I started noticing some pain in my left big toe upon extension. The pain was never severe, so I kept training. Nothing a little tape wouldn’t fix (or so I thought). Then the pandemic hit, and I started running a lot since my gym was closed. The pain got worse, I did less and less. Still, the pain was never terrible but it was persistent. I saw my podiatrist, and he diagnosed me with AVN of the fibular sesamoid by MRI in early June 2020. This was confirmed with spect CT in early July. My x rays were normal, there was no apparent fracture or degeneration. Both the MRI and CT showed some soft tissue inflammation/edema but no tears. I went in a boot for 6 weeks, and I was given a bone stim (ortho fix) that I’ve been wearing for 3 hours a day for almost 3 months. My pain was at a 0-2, so I have been attempting to gradually step up my activity, but it seems that it’s always 2 steps forward, 2 steps back. My PT primarily does manual therapy, and I’ve been doing toe yoga and trying to go for walks or short hikes (In the shoe recommended by my podiatrist - hoka Bondi 6). Anytime I do this, my foot starts to swell again and be painful. I am so frustrated.

Here is my dilemma - I also have some mild/moderate scoliosis, and the lack of activity has severely flared up my back pain - to the point that the idea of spine surgery has been floated by my sports med doctor. As a result of the crooked spine, I have degenerative disc disease (Several herniations, stenosis and facet joint arthritis) that I have been keeping in check by remaining fit and active. Resting my foot and doing seated exercises (like a stationary bike) has been hell on my back. Obviously, abnormal gait and wearing a boot didn’t exactly help my back either. I need to get back to my regular training/dancing schedule to ensure that my spine stays functional and I avoid back surgery.

What is the best course of action to return me to normal activity as soon as possible? In your experience, does this type of injury heal with conservative treatment and is the person able to return to their activity? I’ve scoured the literature, and the lack of studies is frustrating, and what little there is focuses on surgical treatment. How do people fare after surgery in your experience? I’m not keen on doing unnecessary surgery but I am trying to balance the needs of my back with the needs of my foot. Lastly, what is your opinion on the use of NSAIDS during AVN? I am concerned about the anti-angiogenic effects.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and consider my case.

Kind regards,

Dr. Blake's comment: Definitely switch out of the boot for your back and into some bike shoes with embedded cleats. This will provide evenness in function and weight between the two sides, something your back will be happy for. Your physical therapist should be able to put you on a program to keep your back loose and strong as you go through the foot rehab. When will you get another MRI? I usually wait 6 months, but in your case, every 3 months to see some light at the end of the tunnel with the AVN healing. In your whole discussion, you mentioned nothing about all the other things besides Hokas: orthotic devices, dancer's padding on the orthotic and separate, cluffy wedges, varus cants, spica taping, carbon plates with first ray cutouts, etc. Send me a photo of coronal view injured sesamoid both T1 and T2 weighting to see the AVN. And yes, no NSAIDs, but you should be doing contrast bathing for deep bone flush and circulation every evening. Rich