While you may at first have a simple stress fracture, repeated pressure and impact on the foot could result in a complete break in the bone. The first step in treating a stress fracture is to stop doing what is causing the pain. Swelling or tenderness on top of the foot or ankle and sometimes bruising.Pain when walking, standing or running that worsens during the day, but is relieved with rest.What are the symptoms and treatment of a stress fracture? Most patients report that symptoms come on gradually and are exacerbated when they are on their feet. You can also have stress fractures in the heel, fibula or navicular (bone in the mid part of your foot.) The most common sites for stress fractures are the second and third bones (metatarsals) in the foot. For this reason, women are more likely to have a stress fracture. Older adults who have osteopenia or osteoporosis are at greater risk for these types of fractures. All it takes is a soup can falling on your foot or a misstep going down stairs. Often, orthopaedic surgeons treat athletes - dancers, runners and gymnasts in particular - for these cracks in the foot since they are associated with high and frequent impact, but they anyone can have a stress fracture. Treatment depends on the severity and location of the fracture.įorefoot Fractures The most common fracture on top of the foot is a stress fracture. This leads to uneven healing and can result in arthritis in the joint.įoot & Toes Your foot and toes can suffer from simple stress fracture to more serious breaks in the forefront of the foot and heel. If the fracture is not healing properly, you can develop what is called a malunion where the bone has moved out of place and is not healing in position. With any break, follow up x-rays and appointments with your orthopaedic surgeon are critical to long-term success. If you have had a splint or cast, your surgeon may recommend that you wear a brace for additional support when you participate in sports. Strengthening muscles that surround the ankle will prevent future problems and provide support for the ankle joint. It’s important that you learn how to use your ankle and keep it mobile. Your orthopaedic surgeon will prescribe physical therapy in nearly all cases. Patients who have undergone a surgical repair will have a longer recuperation. Patients with a simple break without surgery, will be able to return to normal activities in about three to four months. At the very least, it takes bones six weeks to heal and if ligaments are involved, it takes months for a complete recovery. Recovering from a Broken Ankle Bone Recovery from an ankle break is often lengthy and requires patience. In most cases, the surgeon will use pins, screws or rods to hold the bone in place as it heals. During surgery, any broken bones will be realigned, fragments cleared from the joint and any damaged ligaments repaired. In these cases, the repair depends on the injury. If the ankle is unstable, the bone is out of place and cannot be realigned or multiple bones are involved (along with ligament injury), your surgeon will most likely recommend a surgical repair. X-rays will be taken after a few weeks to ensure that the bone is healing in place. If the fracture can be stabilized and x-rays do not indicate severe deformity or shattered bone fragment floating within the joint, then the orthopaedic surgeon may recommend splinting or casting the ankle for several weeks. How do you treat a broken ankle? Treatment of a fracture is based on the severity, location, stability of the joint and whether ligaments are involved. Breaks occur from falling, car accidents, tripping or twisting the ankle. Patients who have an ankle break normally experience immediate swelling, bruising and inability to put weight on the foot/ankle. You can also break the entire joint where the three bones meet or the joint in between the tibia and fibula. When you break your ankle, your physician will refer to your break based on the region of the injury. The tibia and fibula are broken down into regions: Tibia - medial malleolus is the inside of the tibia posterior malleolus is at the back of the tibia Fibula - lateral malleolus is at the end of the bone As we age, the bones can also weaken, causing them to become even more vulnerable.Īnkle The ankle is made up of three bones - tibia (shin bone), fibula (small bone in the lower part of the leg) and talus (small bone that rests between the heel bone and tibia and fibula). It’s no wonder that nearly everyone ends up with a stress fracture or some sort of break in the foot, ankle or toes. The foot and ankle have a total of 30 bones! That’s a lot of small bones that get wear and tear as we walk, climb and run for many hours each day.
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