open dataset · last reviewed 2026-06-24
Morton's neuroma excision recovery data
Every measured number behind the Morton's neuroma surgery recovery timeline, with the study each one came from. foot · confidence medium · 4 interpolated points not listed. Part of the recovery data index. Quote it, chart it, cite it — a link back is all we ask.
Published cohort data. Not medical advice, not a prediction for your body, and not a substitute for your surgeon or clinician.
Measured pain by week
| Week | Typical pain | Band | Scale | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 7 /10 | 5.3–8.5our estimate — the paper prints no range — The low and high edges come from two different studies of different patients — one all-dorsal-approach cohort and one plantar-approach cohort — not the spread of outcomes within Karakaplan's own 41 patients. | 0–10 as published | study |
| 52 | 1 /10 | 0.4–1.4our estimate — the paper prints no range — This paper has a genuine second surgical-approach group (plantar) that isn't used here. The low edge instead comes from a different plantar-approach study, and the high edge from a different dorsal-approach study (Karakaplan) — not the range within this paper's own patients. | 0–10 as published | study |
Documented milestones
| Week | Milestone | Reported range | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Weight-bearing in a post-op shoe | From the day of surgery in a stiff-soled post-op shoe with crutches for a dorsal incision; a plantar incision needs longer before full weight goes through it | study |
| 2 | Stitches out, wound can get wet | About 2 weeks; the wound is kept dry until the sutures come out | study |
| 4 | Return to driving | About 4 weeks in the UK, once an emergency stop is possible; a left foot or an automatic can be sooner | study |
| 5 | Back into an everyday shoe | About 4 to 6 weeks for a trainer or loose lace-up shoe; narrow or fashion shoes take months | study |
| 12 | Return to sport and impact activity | Around 3 months; impact sport is usually held until about 12 weeks | study |
| 26 | Swelling settles and full recovery | Forefoot swelling commonly lasts about 3 months; full settling of pain and swelling can take up to a year | study |
take this
Cite Morton's neuroma excisionone line, ready to paste
Steady. Morton's neuroma excision recovery data: 2 measured pain points and 6 milestones, from 5 cited sources. Last reviewed 2026-06-24. https://growsteady.me/recovery-data/morton-neuroma-excision
Embed the Morton's neuroma excision chartfree to use on your own site, with the credit line kept
The image is drawn from the table above and redraws whenever the data is reviewed, so an embedded copy never goes stale. Open the image →
<figure>
<img src="https://growsteady.me/recovery-data/morton-neuroma-excision/curve.png" alt="Typical pain by week after Morton's neuroma excision, from published studies" width="1200" height="675" loading="lazy" />
<figcaption>
Pain band after Morton's neuroma excision, from
<a href="https://growsteady.me/recovery-data/morton-neuroma-excision">the Steady recovery data index</a>.
</figcaption>
</figure>every paper cited here (18)
- NHS Lothian patient protocol: Morton's neuroma excision surgery (recovery timeline)clinical protocol · backs 5 milestone, 4 card
- PMC9535891not yet reviewed · backs 5 pain
- PMC2903131not yet reviewed · backs 3 card
- Kasparek and Schneider, surgical treatment of Morton's neuroma: clinical results after open excision (98 feet, 15.3-yr follow-up), 2013retrospective cohort · backs 2 card
- nth.nhs.uknot yet reviewed · backs 1 milestone, 1 card
- Treating Morton's neuroma by injection, neurolysis, or neurectomy: systematic review and meta-analysis (35 studies, 2,998 patients), Acta Neurochirurgica 2021meta-analysis · backs 2 card
- PMC10483740not yet reviewed · backs 1 card
- PMC8792541not yet reviewed · backs 1 card
- PMID 11568193not yet reviewed · backs 1 card
- PMID 18549752not yet reviewed · backs 1 card
- PMID 19083618not yet reviewed · backs 1 card
- PMID 20819664not yet reviewed · backs 1 card
- PMID 26253529not yet reviewed · backs 1 card
- PMID 3392057not yet reviewed · backs 1 card
- PMID 38723267not yet reviewed · backs 1 card
- PMID 9046143not yet reviewed · backs 1 card
- Reichert et al., long-term results of neurectomy through a dorsal approach: VAS 7.04 pre-op to 1.4 (n=41), 2016retrospective cohort · backs 1 pain
- Outcomes following excision of Morton's interdigital neuroma: prospective cohort (99 patients / 111 feet), Bone and Joint Journal 2016prospective cohort · cited by nothing on this page
take the data
This procedure's records as JSON — one per question a person actually asks, each with the answer written out in full and the study beside it: /recovery-data/morton-neuroma-excision/claims.json. The whole dataset lives on the recovery data index.
The data says what a cohort did. Your own log says what you did — and saves you from re-arguing week six from memory.
Start a recovery logThis page reports published cohort data. It is not medical advice, not a prediction for your body, and not a substitute for your surgeon or clinician. New severe or rapidly worsening pain, fever or chills, a hot swollen calf, chest pain or breathlessness, wound redness or discharge, or new numbness or weakness are reasons to contact your surgical team promptly.