Recognition and management of Müller-Weiss disease

Müller-Weiss disease (MWD) is an uncommon condition of unclear etiology, characterized by compression of the lateral aspect of the tarsal navicular bone. It presents with chronic mid and hindfoot pain, mostly in middle-aged females. It does not represent persistence of Kohler's disease, which is self-limiting and resolves completely in childhood.

A total of 12 patients with 19 affected feet, seven of whom had bilateral involvement, presented to a single foot and ankle surgeon over a 10-year period. Diagnosis of MWD was based on radiographic appearances demonstrating compression of the lateral part of the navicular. Affected feet were graded using Maceira classification.

The cohort comprised four males and eight females with a mean age of 57.9 years. Only one patient had previously been a manual worker. Mean duration of symptoms was 5.2 years. Of the seven patients who underwent surgery for symptoms related to MWD, five had a triple arthrodesis, one had triple arthrodesis combined with naviculo-cuneiform fusion, and one had a pantalar arthrodesis for associated varus ankle osteoarthritis. Solid union was achieved in all cases.

We propose that MWD is much more common than previously reported and did not find conditions of extreme environmental stress or poverty in our patients. We advocate surgical management of the condition by triple arthrodesis and extend it to include a naviculocuneiform fusion whenever indicated according to CT findings.