Successful Midfoot Reconstruction in Müller-Weiss Disease Using a Reverse Fibular Flap: A Case Report and Literature Review

Müller-Weiss disease (MWD) is a poorly understood orthopedic condition first described in 1927 that causes chronic pain across the midfoot and hindfoot. The etiology is uncertain but includes navicular dysplasia, osteochondritis, and trauma. The initial management is conservative, aiming to reduce the patient's symptoms, and includes analgesia, footwear, and activity modification. Surgical interventions such as joint fusion are considered when conservative measures fail, but there is little recorded for treatment beyond this. This case outlines the difficult management of a 52-year-old female patient with a long history of MWD. She had no history of previous trauma or neurological problems. A talonavicular fusion failed to unite, resulting in significant necrosis of the lateral navicular and navicular-cuneiform arthritis. We describe the novel use of a reverse vascularized pedicled fibular flap and extended midfoot fusion to manage the navicular bone defect. At six-year follow-up, the patient remains virtually pain-free and has returned to work with radiographs confirming good incorporation of the bone graft. We understand this to be the first documented use of a reverse vascularized fibular bone graft for recalcitrant MWD. Given the excellent clinical outcome in this case, surgeons should consider this combined ortho-plastics approach in the management of complex non-union with a bone defect in the midfoot.