Filippo Civinini (1805-1844) and the discovery of plantar neuroma

Pathological abnormality (neuroma) related to the painful foot condition commonly called “Morton’s metatarsalgia” was first observed in 1835 by Filippo Civinini (1805-1844) of Pistoia, in course of a cadaverous dissection, and clearly described in the anatomic letter entitled “Su un nervoso gangliare rigonfiamento alla pianta del piede” (“On the neural gangliar swelling of the foot sole”). In this study a brief review on the history of Morton’s metatarsalgia is carried out, and the importance of Civinini in the discovery of the neuroma of the III intermetatarsal web is underlined.