ABSTRACT
Brachymetatarsia is a congenital foot deformity that presents as a unilateral or bilateral short metatarsal(s), typically involving the fourth toe (Fig. 1A). The prevalence of brachymetatarsia of the lesser metatarsals has been reported to be 1 in 1820 to 1 in 4586 (1,2). The female-to-male ratio has been reported to be 25 : 1 with the prevalence of bilateral short metatarsals reported to be 72% (2,3). According to Tachdjian (4), a short first metatarsal ‘‘Morton’s foot’’ is more common than a short fourth metatarsal. Takakura et al. (5) found that the prevalence of congenital short first metatarsals is 1 in 10,000 based on Japanese children, which is less common than the short fourth metatarsal. Recessive hereditary patterns have also been described in patients with a congenital short metatarsal (2).
