Midterm Outcomes of the Modified Kidner Procedure for Accessory Navicular Syndrome in Athletes vs Nonathletes

An accessory navicular is a supernumerary ossicle located medial to the navicular bone, typically within the substance or insertion of the posterior tibial tendon, and can be a source of pain and dysfunction in active individuals.

This was a retrospective comparative study evaluating the outcomes of the modified Kidner procedure in athletes (ballet, basketball, volleyball, running, football, soccer, etc) and nonathletes. Our study included 42 consecutive feet that were operatively managed with the modified Kidner procedure for a symptomatic accessory navicular between the years 2014 and 2023. Patients who underwent any other procedure in addition to the modified Kidner procedure were excluded from the study. The objective of this study is to determine the outcomes of the modified Kidner procedure for an accessory navicular in the athletic population compared to the nonathletic or general population.

Athletes had no difference in postoperative Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) activities of daily living (ADL) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores compared with nonathletes. Interestingly, comparison of single-sport to multisport athletes revealed that single-sport athletes presented with worse preoperative VAS and FAAM scores. However, there was no significant difference in postoperative patient-reported outcomes between single-sport and multisport athletes.

Our results suggest that although single-sport athletes may present with more severe preoperative symptoms, they experience comparable improvement following operative management relative to nonathletes or multisport athletes.

Level III, retrospective comparative study.