Heel calluses
, also called
plantar calluses
, develop when one metatarsal bone is longer or lower than the others and it hits the ground with more force than it is equipped to handle. As a result, the skin under this bone thickens. The resulting callus causes irritation and pain.
In most cases, heel calluses can be treated without surgery. In severe cases, however, a surgical procedure, called an osteotomy, is performed to relieve the pressure on the bone. The procedure involves cutting the metatarsal bone in a "V" shape, lifting the bone and aligning it with the other bones. This alleviates the pressure and prevents formation of a heel callus.