One tenth of all bone fractures occur in the foot. Part of this is because we have so many bones in our feet, 26 per foot, to be exact. The only parts of our body that have more bones than our feet are our hands, which have 27 bones apiece.
The high number of bones in the foot means a high number of ways to break them. We can usually feel which bones we break but knowing what to do about them is more complicated. We’ll talk about the different types of foot fractures and how to recognize them here.
Metatarsal Fracture
The metatarsals are in the middle of the foot, behind the toes. They help us carry weight and keep our balance.
Broken metatarsals often accompany ankle injuries, because landing awkwardly on a metatarsal often causes the ankle to bend or twist as the body tries to compensate.
Symptoms and Treatment
Foot fractures feel similar to other fractures. You’ll feel pain in the area and may notice swelling or bruising. You will also struggle to lift heavy objects or keep balance.
Treatment for fractured metatarsals involves wearing a rigid-soled shoe or a cast. You should practice walking to exercise the area and recover more of your movement.
Surgery is necessary in rare cases when the bones are knocked out of alignment.
Toe Fracture
If you’ve ever stubbed your toe, you know how painful it is. The human foot contains many nerve endings, so more pain receptors get activated when we hurt our feet. We don’t have much fat in our toes, so they don’t absorb shock well.
Symptoms and Treatments
Being small and unprotected, toes fracture easily. Toe fractures range in intensity, but often heal on their own. You’ll notice pain, swelling, redness, bruising, and decreased mobility.
Treatment may involve a cast or surgery in extreme cases.
Talar Fracture
The talus bone is the main bone in our ankle. It bears our weight and handles a range of movement, which makes it a sturdy bone. Breaking it requires a lot of force, which is why sports often cause talar fractures.
Symptoms and Treatment
Talar fractures cause extreme pain and will limit your mobility. They may need immediate care or surgery, especially if a vein is damaged.
Non-surgical treatment requires a cast to immobilize the ankle so that the bone can heal back together.
Calcaneal Fracture
Like talar fractures, calcaneal fractures require significant force. The calcaneus is our heel bone, which is large and has more fat for shock absorption. Falls and high-impact sports cause numerous heel fractures.
Stress fractures can happen, too. Stress fractures in the heel are linked to planar fasciitis because both can be caused by heavy impact.
Immobilization, elevation, and compression are the first steps in treating heel fractures. A cast or surgery might be used as well.
Types of Foot Fractures
Each foot has 26 bones, which means at least 26 ways to break your foot, and probably many more. We’ve discussed some foot fractures here, but feel free to read more on our blog.
If you’re in need of orthopedic treatment in the Boise, ID area, come to the Flint Foot and Ankle Institute. We are headed by a skilled orthopedic surgeon and medical scholar. Check out our services and see what we can do for you.
