Today, we’re going to discuss the cuboid bone, which runners should be aware of. Everyone is aware that runners’ feet experience frequent damage. The amount of miles we log may have an impact on the health of our feet, and when they begin to suffer, it can be difficult to make them feel better (especially if we are guilty of pushing through the pain). Running may harm your foot in a variety of ways, such as straining your plantar fascia and experiencing heel pain. You could take a funny stride and twist your ankle. And repeated contact on the same spot might cause a stress fracture.

Don’t you like having choices? Despite my jokes, foot injuries may end your runs. So today I’ll discuss a foot problem that runners often have but are slow to recognize and treat: a cuboid bone injury.

Wait, what exactly is a cuboid bone?

Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of this specific bone. It’s not just you. The cuboid bone is rather tiny. It has a wedge form and rests on your foot’s exterior.

Its cubic body likewise has a bony appearance. (It’s called the tuberosity of the cuboid, and it protrudes from the bone, pointing towards the sole of your foot.)

The cuboid has a significant duty, so don’t be fooled by its little size! Every movement you make depends on the cuboid bone, which stabilizes the outside of your foot. Some of the muscles in your foot connect to it here. It operates as a pulley system where your foot and ankle connect, allowing you to bend your foot downwards. Additionally, it aids in supporting your foot’s outside column. It is because of this that you are able to stand and balance.

Doesn’t it seem like a lot of work? Particularly for such a little bone? That’s correct, of course! That’s why you’re in trouble if you aggravated or hurt your cuboid. Because it won’t feel good to run, stroll, or even move at all right now.

What causes damage to a cuboid bone?

It turns out that there are several ways to injure your cuboid bone. They consist of, but are not limited to:

• • Faulty biomechanics (when your natural gait is not optimal, due to the physical makeup of your body)
  • Stepping on a hard object
  • Dropping a heavy object on your foot. (In this scenario, you’d likely break your cuboid and another foot bone; you could also hear others refer to your accident as a nutcracker fracture.) However, here’s a useful tip: your podiatrist won’t be discussing the ballet; rather, they’ll be discussing your fractured cuboid and mid-foot bones.
  • Ankle sprain
  • Limited range of motion in your ankle
  • Uneven weight distribution across your body.
  • Cuboid Syndrome (This is an uncommon disorder when the bone partly dislocates; it’s often brought on by an ankle injury or excessively pronating feet, which roll inward when you walk.)
  • Car accidents may result in cuboid injuries, particularly if compression is involved.

Your cuboid bone may drop down as a result of any one of these circumstances, making it more difficult for it to move with your foot.

What signs might indicate a cuboid injury?

Your foot won’t splay smoothly if your cuboid bone is damaged. Therefore, spreading your toes will be challenging for you. But the issues go beyond that.

Walking and running become extremely painful when you are unable to spread your toes. This is due to how poorly a foot that is not spread out can absorb trauma. As a result, having a cuboid injury might make you feel as if you’ve walked on something even when you haven’t.

Those aren’t the only signs of a cuboid injury, of course. You’ll also see bruising and swelling, like with the majority of other foot ailments. Your foot’s range of motion can also be constrained, far further than your toes can move.

Diagnostic Challenges

It might be challenging to get the correct diagnosis if this little bone is the cause of your discomfort. In fact, according to scientists researching cuboid injuries, it’s hard to see. To prevent overlooking your injury, they now advise using a variety of diagnostic layers. These consist of:

• • A thorough physical examination
  • X-rays
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Frequently, a cuboid fracture cannot be seen on a conventional x-ray. This research advises a follow-up MRI if x-rays are inconclusive in determining the cause of your discomfort on the outside of your foot.

Managing A Cuboid Injury

We need to determine the cause of your cuboid injury before we can treat it. A gait analysis should thus be the first line of defense in the event of a cuboid injury. In this manner, we can determine whether your biomechanics are the source of your pain. Additionally, if your bone is not broken, custom orthotics may relieve pressure on the bone and allow you to resume running.

Furthermore, as with any injury to the runners’ foot, you must always see a podiatrist to ensure that you don’t have a stress fracture in the cuboid or any other foot or ankle bone. As I just said, you could need an MRI to determine if your bone is broken. If a fracture is discovered, we will then support your foot with a cast or walking boot.

Immobilization now only helps if your fracture hasn’t been displaced. Because we would have to advise surgery if the bones had migrated. Your foot won’t heal correctly if you don’t. Additionally, your movement can be permanently hampered.

Fortunately, even if surgery is required, the cuboid recovers fast. This is a result of its healthy blood supply. Therefore, even with a fractured cuboid, you’ll probably go back to running in a rather short amount of time (unlike your fifth metatarsal bone, which is why Jones’ fractures take years to heal and are notorious sports injuries).

Naturally, addressing cuboid pain at an early stage is still preferable. Experiencing discomfort when running? Come in right away, whether it’s your cuboid bone or anything else, so we can keep you moving without discomfort. Make an appointment right now with Dr. Ejodamen Shobowale of DeNiel Foot and Ankle Center.

Book An Appointment 832-415-1790

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The cuboid syndrome is also known as peroneal cuboid, locked cuboid, or dropped cuboid; occurs when the ligaments and joint surrounding the cuboid bone are injured due to rotation of the cuboid out of position, partial dislocation. The cuboid bone has seven tarsal bones in the foot and it is part of the midtarsal joint. The pain is around the middle of the foot and the base of the fifth and fourth toes, and the side where you have the little toe that is the lateral side of the foot. It makes it hard to diagnose cuboid syndrome because it is easily confused with other conditions such as a stress fracture. The cuboid bone may be injured suddenly due to overuse. Visit a podiatrist as soon as the symptoms start for early treatment to avoid cuboid syndrome surgery offered in severe cases.

Symptoms

• Sudden pain or pain that develops over time in the lateral side of the foot (the side with the little toe).
• Pain that gets worse with weight-bearing.
• Difficulties in walking.
• Acute or sharp pain.
• Possible swelling.
• Less motion of the ankle and foot.
• Pain when pushing off the toe and lifting the heel.
• Sensitive bottom of the foot.
• Pain outside the ankle.

Causes

Overuse – Cuboid syndrome running is common among athletes because their feet are intensely active in high-stress situations and work through the pain. It can result in injuries or dislocation of the cuboid bone.

Sprained ankle – An inversion sprain of the ankle likely causes the cuboid syndrome. It happens when the ankle twists inward, but an outward twist can also cause the condition.

Pronated feet – People with pronated feet usually have the feet turn inward as they walk. Their calf muscles are tight, and they tug the cuboid bone to dislocated when the foot is pronated.

Other activities – Such as a lot of sports especially the ones that involve side to side movements like racquetball or tennis. Others include climbing stairs, poorly fitting shoes, training on uneven surfaces, and not resting to recover after strenuous activity.

Treatment

The best conservative treatment method involves resting, icing, compressing, elevation, and eliminating activities that put pressure on the foot. If pain persists or gets worse, book an appointment with a podiatrist.

In the first steps of treatment, a podiatrist makes sure the patient is not wearing a shoe or any gear that causes the foot to supinate. If the condition is due to biomechanical or limb length issues, the proper measures to correct and treat are administered.

Traditional treatment is administered by placing a square cuboid pad on the foot. The pad is adhesive and is applied directly to the skin. The success of the pad is achieved when the size of the patient’s foot is considered.

Direct manipulation is done by using plantar and dorsal motions. Sometimes a pop can be heard as the cuboid gets back in place. This can be painful but repeated manipulation once or twice a day alleviates the pain.

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