How do you tell if you have an extra bone in your foot?
Noah Mitchell
Published Jan 14, 2026
Signs and Symptoms
How do you treat an extra bone in your foot?
Nonsurgical Treatment Approaches
- Immobilization. Placing the foot in a cast or removable walking boot allows the affected area to rest and decreases the inflammation.
- Ice. To reduce swelling, a bag of ice covered with a thin towel is applied to the affected area. ...
- Medications. ...
- Physical therapy. ...
- Orthotic devices.
What is an accessory bone in foot?
An accessory navicular bone is an extra bone or piece of cartilage located in the middle of the foot near the navicular bone, the bone that goes across the foot near the instep. It is present from birth ( congenital ) and is a common trait .
Why does the extra bone in my foot hurt?
Sudden trauma from a sprained ankle or foot, for instance, may cause the extra bone or tissue to become painful. Additional causes and risks factors include: Overuse of the bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles of the foot. An underlying condition such as diabetes that affects feet.
Why does it look like I have two ankle bones?
The presence of an os trigonum in one or both feet is congenital (present at birth). It becomes evident during adolescence when one area of the talus does not fuse with the rest of the bone, creating a small extra bone. Only a small number of people have this extra bone.
18 related questions foundCan you have extra bones in your feet?
There are 26 bones in the human foot. Some people have extra bones (accessory ossicles) which are usually congenital (present at birth) but may also be due to previous trauma. These extra bones, which can occur with any bone in the foot, can be painless (asymptomatic) and are only noticed when the foot is x-rayed.
What does the navicular bone look like?
The navicular is a small irregular bone with its shape being described as pyriform. Its posterior surface is concave and there are two faint ridges anteriorly to correspond with the articulation with the three cuneiform bones.
How do you find the navicular tuberosity?
If given permission, place your thumb on the medial aspect of the navicular bone. If the patient had excessive pronation, the tuberosity of the navicular bone will be prominent distal to the head of the talus, which will bulge medially and be displaced downward.
Can the navicular bone move?
Often, this extra navicular bone lies near or attaches to the posterior tibial tendon. (See figure.) When the posterior tibial muscle contracts with movements such as foot inversion or plantar flexion, the posterior tendon moves, and the accessory navicular bone moves.
Can you walk with a broken navicular bone?
The boot protects your foot and will make you more comfortable while the fracture heals. Wear a long sock in your boot. Wear the boot when you are standing and walking for the first 6 weeks. You can take it off at night and at rest.
What happen to extra bones?
“A gross majority of the bones in our body don't look the way they do in adulthood as [they do in] a child or a newborn,” Waxenbaum says. Newborns can have more than 300 distinct bones. But the extra ones don't disappear or dissolve to bring that number down to 206; instead, they fuse together as they develop.
What is the bone that sticks out on the top of your foot?
Tarsal bones
The talus, or ankle bone: The talus is the bone at the top of the foot. It connects with the tibia and fibula bones of the lower leg. The calcaneus, or heel bone: The calcaneus is largest of the tarsal bones.
How rare is it to have an extra bone in your ankle?
Os trigonum syndrome is a rare and painful condition that can affect people who have an os trigonum bone. The os trigonum is an accessory (extra) bone that's present in about 15 to 30% of people in at least one foot. 1 It is a small, round bone that sits just behind the ankle joint.
Do people have two ankle bones?
An os trigonum is a small extra (accessory) piece of bone in the back of the ankle. While up to 15% of people have this extra bone, it usually does not cause any symptoms. It may be present only on one side but can be found in both feet.
What is the bone sticking out of my ankle?
Lateral Malleolus: Bony protrusion felt on the outside of the ankle. The lateral Malleolus is the low end of the Fibula.
What causes extra bone growth?
Osteochondroma is an overgrowth of cartilage and bone that happens at the end of the bone near the growth plate. Most often, it affects the long bones in the leg, the pelvis, or the shoulder blade. Osteochondroma is the most common noncancerous bone growth. It most often occurs between ages 10 and 30.
Why does the bone by my big toe sticks out?
A bunion is a bony bump that forms on the joint at the base of your big toe. It occurs when some of the bones in the front part of your foot move out of place. This causes the tip of your big toe to get pulled toward the smaller toes and forces the joint at the base of your big toe to stick out.
What is the weakest bone in your body?
The clavicle or the collar bone is the softest and weakest bone in the body.
What bones Are you not born with?
Babies are born without knees. At first, we have no kneecaps and only have cartilage in our joints. Kneecaps develop later.
Where are babies extra bones?
Babies are born with about 300 bones, while adults only have 206. As babies grow into young adults, these bones fuse together to become single bones. But why aren't these bones already fused together at birth? Well, most of these unfused bones are located in the newborn's skull.
How do you tell if you broke your navicular bone?
Symptoms
- Vague pain to the middle or top of the foot and in the arch of the foot.
- Mild swelling or bruising to the foot, though often not seen.
- Pain with walking, running or jumping. ...
- Tenderness when pushing on the navicular bone.
What does a navicular fracture feel like?
Symptoms of a navicular stress fracture usually involve a dull, aching pain in the ankle or at the middle or top of the foot. In the early stages, pain often occurs only with activity. In the later stages, pain may be constant.
How painful is a navicular fracture?
Navicular fractures tend to worsen over time and feel most painful during or after periods of exercise. If you experience discomfort toward the middle of your foot or in your wrist, particularly after trauma to the area or overuse, speak with your doctor about obtaining a diagnosis.
What causes the navicular bone to stick out?
This can result from any of the following: Trauma, as in a foot or ankle sprain. Chronic irritation from shoes or other footwear rubbing against the extra bone. Excessive activity or overuse.