Did you know that your feet hold almost 1/4 of all the bones in your body. Foot fractures or broken feet are often painful but not disabling. This post will help to explain what foot fractures are, what causes them, how they are diagnosed and how to treat them.
There are two types of foot fractures: stress fractures and general bone fractures. Stress fractures usually occur in the forefoot: the area from toes to foot’s middle. These types of fractures are like small cracks in the bone surface. They occur due to increase in or improper exercise or walking long distances as well as a change in surfaces. General bone foot fractures extend through the bone. They may be stable when there’s no bone misalignment, or they may be displaced, when bones are misaligned.
Closed foot fractures are diagnosed when a fractured bone does not break through the skin. Open foot fractures are diagnosed when a fractured bone breaks through the skin.
A more serious injury in fifth metatarsal is known as a Jones fracture, which occurs near the base of the bone and disrupts its blood supply. This injury may take longer to heal or may require surgery.
NYC Podiatry Center of Excellence advises all to seek podiatrist’s attention for ANY suspected foot fractures.
Foot Fractures Causes
- Crushed feet: when heavy objects fall on foot and break bones or toes
- Direct blow to the foot, stumbling, or tripping
- Jumping or falling from a high distances can break bones if one lands on feet
- Extensive exercises, running or sports may lead to stress fractures
- Twisting the foot or ankle
Foot Fractures Symptoms
- Difficulty walking
- Limping
- Bruising
- Pain
- Swelling
- Redness
Foot Fractures Treatment
If you experience any of the above symptoms, first see if it heals itself for 1-2 days by resting, icing, compression and elevation. If you notice that the symptoms do not go away, seek medical attention as soon as possible. More serious fractures require IMMEDIATE medical attention. Open fractures, especially, require immediate medial attention since a tear in the skin exposes your body to infections. NYC Podiatry Center of Excellence offers urgent foot medicine & care, but you should call an emergency room if you experience an open fracture if our office is closed.
We provide a variety of treatments depending upon the type of fracture:
- Alignment of the broken bone segments may be necessary to get the bone to heal properly. Podiatrists at our center can do bone manipulation in the office to realign bones.
If a broken bone cannot be aligned properly, surgery is often necessary and scheduled. Our podiatrists performed thousands of foot fractures surgeries when realignment could not be performed with conservative non-surgical treatment. - Taping / strapping of broken toes next to unbroken adjacent ones. Stiff shoes or boots and crutches are often required until the broken bone heals, which can take 4-6 weeks.
- Immobilization
- Use of other resources such as metal plates and/or screws to stabilize the bone so it may heal
If you feel that you need medical assistance for a foot fractures in NYC, make an appointment with NYC Podiatry Center of Excellence. We will be happy to get you back on your feet!
- Podiatrist that does Telemedicine / Video Calls - March 28, 2020
- Podiatrists Accept EmblemHealth and GHI Insurance Plans - October 11, 2018
- NYC’s Celebrity Podiatrist for film, entertainment, athletic and modeling industries - September 20, 2018