Spontaneous and bilateral avascular necrosis of the navicula: Müller-Weiss disease

Abstract

Although, trauma, foot deformity (pes planovalgus), systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and lupus, drugs (steroids, antineoplastic) and excessive alcohol consumption have all been accused in the etiology of avascular necrosis of the tarsal bones, spontaneous avascular necrosis of the navicular bone, especially in adults, is a rare entity. In this article, we report a 50-year-old female patient with bilateral, spontaneous avascular necrosis of the navicular bone and related severe talonavicular arthrosis. Clinical and radiological findings were concordant with Müller- Weiss disease, which is a rare disease with complex idiopathic foot condition of the adult tarsal navicular bone characterized by progressive navicular fragmentation and talonavicular joint destruction. The patient was successfully treated with twostaged bilateral talonavicular arthrodesis.