
How do I know if I have a sesamoid fracture? Treatment includes immobilization in a boot and often nonweightbearing to allow the area to heal. Dancing can become near impossible because of the pain that patients may experience. There will be difficulty walking in long strides or running on the ball of the foot. The sesamoid is a small nodular bone most often present embedded in tendons in the region of the thumb. Sesamoids act like pulleys, providing a smooth surface for tendons to slide over, increasing the tendon’s ability to transmit muscular forces. The patella is the largest sesamoid bone in the body. What is the function of the largest sesamoid bone? The sesamoid bones protect tendons by helping them overcome compressive forces. These bones form in tendons (the sheaths of tissue that connect bones to muscles) where a great deal of pressure is generated in a joint. What are the characteristics of sesamoid bone?Ī sesamoid bone is a small, round bone that, as the name suggests, is shaped like a sesame seed. As many as 42 sesamoid bones can be found within a single person 2. Sesamoid bones are common in humans, and vary in number. Prognosis is usually excellent if one of the sesamoids is removed.

If the bone has died and pain persists causing an inability to weightbear for three or more months, surgery may be necessary to remove the sesamoid and restore the person’s ability to go back to sports and activities. You will need to wear a stiff-soled shoe, a short leg-fracture brace, or possibly a cast, and your physician may tape the joint to limit movement of the big toe. If you have fractured a sesamoid bone, your foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon may recommend conservative treatments before resorting to surgery. Untreated sesamoid fractures can cause cartilage problems and arthritis of the MTP joint.

What Happens if a Sesamoid Fracture is Left Untreated? One or both of the sesamoid bones lie near the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint. What happens if you break your sesamoid bone? Their functions probably are to modify pressure, to diminish friction, and occasionally to alter the direction of a muscle pull. Sesamoid bones are small more or less rounded masses embedded in certain tendons and usually related to joint surfaces. Acting as a pulley for tendons, the sesamoids help the big toe move normally and provide leverage when the big toe pushes off during walking and running. In a normal foot, the sesamoids are two pea-shaped bones located in the ball of the foot beneath the big toe joint.
