Medial cuneiform fracture
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Bell D, Campos A, Medial cuneiform fracture. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 07 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-83972
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rID:
83972
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Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Daniel J Bell had no recorded disclosures.
View Daniel J Bell's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Arlene Campos had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Arlene Campos's current disclosures
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Synonyms:
- Fractures of the medial cuneiform bone
- Fracture of the medial cuneiform bone
- Medial cuneiform fractures
- Isolated medial cuneiform fractures
- Medial cuneiform fracture
Isolated medial cuneiform fractures are rare, and fractures of the medial cuneiform are more commonly seen in combination with other fractures of the foot.
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Epidemiology
Most commonly, fractures of the cuneiform bones occur in combination with other fracture-dislocations of the midfoot 3. When in combination with other fractures, the medial cuneiform is more commonly fractured than the intermediate or lateral cuneiforms. In one retrospective study of a single University hospital, over a ten-year-period, 30 cases of cuneiform fractures were identified, of which two-thirds were of the medial cuneiform 1.
True isolated fractures of the cuneiform bones are rare, accounting for only 1.7% of all midfoot fractures 3,5. Only one case of bilateral synchronous isolated medial cuneiform fractures has been reported 6.
Clinical presentation
With regards to isolated fractures of the medial cuneiform, and based on the small number of cases in the literature, patients most commonly present after direct trauma 3. In some cases acute bruising and swelling were present in the tarsal region however this has not been an invariable finding 2.
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Radiographic features
Most patients will have plain radiography before cross-sectional imaging is performed and fractures of the medial cuneiform can be difficult to spot.
Differential diagnosis
References
- 1. Choi J, Lee D, Ngissah R, Nam B, Suh J. Categorization of Single Cuneiform Fractures and Investigation of Related Injuries: A 10-Year Retrospective Study. J Orthop Surg (Hong Kong). 2019;27(3):2309499019866394. doi:10.1177/2309499019866394 - Pubmed
- 2. Eraslan A, Ozyurek S, Erol B, Ercan E. Isolated medial cuneiform fracture: a commonly missed fracture. (2013) BMJ case reports. doi:10.1136/bcr-2013-010093 - Pubmed
- 3. Guler F, Baz A, Turan A, Kose O, Akalin S. Isolated Medial Cuneiform Fractures: Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature. Foot Ankle Spec. 2011;4(5):306-9. doi:10.1177/1938640011416354 - Pubmed
- 4. Siddiqui NA, Galizia MS, Almusa E, Omar IM. Evaluation of the tarsometatarsal joint using conventional radiography, CT, and MR imaging. (2014) Radiographics : a review publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. 34 (2): 514-31. doi:10.1148/rg.342125215 - Pubmed
- 5. Taylor SF, Heidenreich D. Isolated medial cuneiform fracture: a special forces soldier with a rare injury. (2008) Southern medical journal. 101 (8): 848-9. doi:10.1097/SMJ.0b013e31817dae10 - Pubmed
- 6. Liszka H, Gadek A. [Isolated bilateral medial cuneiform fracture: a case report]. (2012) Przeglad lekarski. 69 (9): 708-10. Pubmed
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