How Do You Know if You Have Fractured a Bone in Your Foot

• Definition/Facts
  • Broken foot definition and facts
• Symptoms and Signs
  • What are the signs and symptoms of a cleaved pes?
  • What are the signs and symptoms of a broken foot in an infant or toddler?
  • How can I tell if I accept a broken bone in my human foot?
• Pictures
  • How many bones are in the foot (pictures)?
• Causes
  • What are the causes of a broken foot?
• Treatment
  • What tin can y'all do for a broken foot (treatment)?
• Complications
  • What are the complications of a broken pes?
• How to Forestall
  • Is information technology possible to prevent a cleaved foot?
• Doc Specialists
  • When should I call the doctor for human foot pain?
• Center
  • Broken Foot Center
• Comments
  • Patient Comments: Broken Foot - Cause
  • Patient Comments: Cleaved Foot - Symptoms
  • Patient Comments: Broken Foot - Diagnosis
  • Patient Comments: Broken Foot - Handling
  • Patient Comments: Broken Foot - Complications
• More
  • Find a local Emergency Medicine Physician in your town

Broken foot definition and facts

Picture of Foot Anatomy Detail

• The basic in the pes may exist broken in many ways including direct blows, trounce injuries, falls and overuse or stress.
• Signs and symptoms of a broken foot may include hurting, limping, swelling, bruising, and refusal to bear weight on the affected pes.
• Initial handling may include RICE (rest, ice, pinch, elevation). Residue may include the utilize of crutches to limit weight bearing.
• X-rays oft help make the diagnosis simply bone scan or computerized tomography (CT scan) may be needed to help visualize the injury.
• Handling of pes fractures depend upon which os is broken merely many fractures are treated with a pinch dressing, a stiff-soled shoe, kicking, and weight bearing as tolerated.
• Some foot fractures require surgery to repair the impairment.
• Complications of foot fractures include non-matrimony at the fracture site, arthritis if a joint is involved, and infection if the peel is broken.
• Healing and recovery fourth dimension for a broken foot depends upon the type of fracture and the os(due south) involved.

Broken Toe Symptoms and Signs

Signs and symptoms of a broken toe include:

• Pain, swelling, bruising, or stiffness following the injury
• Difficulty walking due to the pain (especially with a broken large toe)
• A broken piffling toe (pinky toe) may be painful, but unremarkably does not limit the ability to walk.

What are the signs and symptoms of a broken foot?

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Broken basic are painful, especially when they are weight begetting. Common signs and symptoms of a cleaved bone in the foot include:

• Pain
• Limping
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Tenderness
• Walking may exist too painful

Other signs and symptoms of a broken pes include:

• Joint dislocation: If the bones are significantly displaced (the bone alignment has been lost or in that location is an associated joint dislocation) a deformity of the foot may be apparent.
• People with existing diseases or weather condition: with altered pain sensation due to peripheral neuropathy (persons with diabetes are a classic instance), hurting may not be present, and the fracture may be missed initially. This also may occur in persons with spinal cord injuries. Bruising, swelling, and deformity may be the only clues to a potential fracture.

What are the signs and symptoms of a cleaved pes in an baby or toddler?

• Infants and toddlers may ignore the hurting of their injured pes when they run across a health-care professional.
• They may turn down to bear weight on their leg.
• The child may sit comfortably on the parent's lap without complaint until asked or made to stand.

IMAGES

Broken Foot See a medical illustration of the foot plus our entire medical gallery of human beefcake and physiology See Images

How many basic are in the foot (pictures)?

Picture show of the Bones in the Foot

Moving picture of the metatarsal (pes) and calcaneus (heel) bones, the plantar fascia ligament, and the Achilles tendon of the lower leg and human foot

The human foot is designed to withstand the considerable forces placed on information technology past walking, running, and jumping. There are 26 bones of the pes, connected past joints and supported by thickened ligaments to absorb the bear on of movement. Likewise, the joints of the foot are acted upon by muscles and tendons that allow flexing and extending to allow walking and running to occur.

The bony anatomy can be described as:

• The hindfoot consists of the talus that forms the base of the ankle joint where information technology meets the tibia (shin os) and the calcaneous or heel bone.
• Ligaments from both the talus and the heel bone span the ankle joint and attach to the tibia and fibula (the other shin bone) to provide stability.
• The midfoot consists of the navicular, the cuboid, and the three cuneiform bones. The midfoot is where inversion and supination of the foot occurs. These motions allow the sole of the foot to turn inwards and upward.
• In the forefoot, the v metatarsal bones are connected to each toe.
• The toe bones are called phalanges (single = phalanx) with the large toe having two and the other four toes having three each. These bones are named based upon their relationship to the body: proximal, middle and distal. Proximal means closest to the center of the body while distal is furthest from the centre. The toenails are located over the digital phalanges.
• The arch of the foot is maintained by the plantar fascia, a thick fibrous band of tissue that runs from the calcaneus to the metatarsal bones, preventing the bones of the pes from flattening.
• In that location are places in the foot where two bones meet to form a joint. Each articulation has its own ready of structures that help maintain stability.
• Injuries to the foot include fractures of the os, sprains of the ligaments that stabilize the joints, and strains of the muscles and tendons that move the foot. Joints can also get inflamed (arthritis). Arthritis tin exist acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term).

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What are the causes of a broken human foot?

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A fracture, pause, and crack all mean the same thing when information technology comes to a os injury: the integrity of the bone has been damaged. The cause of injury may exist obvious, such as jumping from a superlative or a heavy object falling and landing on the foot, or it may develop gradually over fourth dimension, such equally the effect of the constant stress of walking or running.

• Pes fractures account for x% of all the broken bones in the body, and the mechanism of injury commonly tin can give a clue as to what os might be injured.
• Fractures of the calcaneus (heel bone) commonly occur when a person jumps or falls from a height, landing straight on their feet. The strength of the landing may also be transmitted upward the body to crusade fractures of the ankle, knee, hip, and lumbar spine.
• Injuries to the midfoot, the metatarsals, and phalanges often are acquired by a direct blow sustained when a kick goes amiss or from a beat injury when a heavy object is dropped on the human foot.
• Twisting injuries can cause bones to break. For example, fractures of the fifth metatarsal base occur when the ankle rolls in and a fragment of the os is pulled off (avulsed) by the peroneus tendon.
• The most common causes of an injured foot include falls; crush injuries (including impacts from a heavy object or an automobile blow) missed steps, and stress/overuse injuries.

What is the healing time for a cleaved pes?

Recovery and healing time for a cleaved foot depends upon the type of fracture and the bones cleaved.

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How tin can I tell if I have a broken bone in my foot?

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A broken foot is diagnosed by the health-intendance practitioner taking a history of how the injury occurred. The mechanism of injury will give clues as to what type of injury may be and importantly, what other associated injuries may likewise be potentially present. It is helpful to know how much time has passed from when the injury occurred to when the patient presents for care. Past medical history is important; those with diabetes or other weather that suppress the immune system are at greater chance for infection with pes injuries.

Physical examination may include the post-obit:

• Inspection of the foot for swelling, bruising, deformities and open up wounds.
• Palpation allows the wellness intendance professional to feel where the pain is located. This is very helpful if X-rays are taken, since it allows the health care professional to correlate areas of tenderness with the anatomy seen on the X-Ray. (This is particularly important in children whose bones may non have yet calcified. Fractures may be easily missed since they occur through cartilage instead of bone.)
• An exam of the circulatory system, feeling for pulses, and assessing how quickly blood returns to the tip of a toe later it is pressed and the toe turns white (capillary refill).
• A neurologic exam, assessing sensation such as low-cal touch and pin prick sensations
• Motor role, asking the patient to move the injured area. This assists in assessing musculus and tendon function. The ability to move the human foot means simply that the muscles and tendons work, and does not guarantee bone integrity or stability. The concept that "information technology can't exist broken because I tin can move information technology" is not correct.
• A range of motion exam of the foot may be helpful in assessing ligament stability. Withal, if the fracture is obvious, the wellness care practitioner may choose to proceed the pes immobilized to forbid further hurting.

Imaging

• Ten-rays are often taken to evaluate the status of the bones in the pes and to check for fracture. Usually three views are taken to aid the health care professional and radiologist adequately view the bones. Special views may be taken if in that location is concern for a fracture of the calcaneus.
• 10-rays may not be taken for simple toe injuries, since the outcome may non affect the treatment plan.
• For some human foot fractures, Ten-rays may not be adequate to visualize the injury. This is often true for metatarsal stress fractures, where bone scans may exist used if the history and physical test advise a potential stress fracture, but the obviously 10-rays are normal.
• Computerized tomography (CT) may exist used to appraise fractures of the calcaneus and talus, since it may better be able to illustrate the anatomy of the talocrural joint and midfoot joint and potential associated injuries. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be used in some cases of foot fractures.
• The Lisfranc joint describes the connectedness between the first, second, and tertiary metatarsals and the iii cuneiform bones. A Lisfranc fracture dislocation oft requires a CT scan to evaluate this region of the foot. While X-rays may hint at the impairment in this type of injury, the CT can delineate the numerous bones and joints that may be damaged.

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What can you do for a broken foot (treatment)?

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• First help at abode may include RICE (rest, ice, superlative, and compression). Rest may include the utilize of crutches to limit weight begetting equally tolerated.
• If the determination is made to seek medical intendance, this regimen may be continued once the patient is discharged from the hospital to become home.
• The treatment of a pes fracture depends upon what bone is broken, the mechanism of injury, the underlying medical condition of the patient, and whether the fracture is open (the peel is broken) or closed (the skin is intact).
• Broken toes are often treated symptomatically, with the injured toe "buddy taped" to an adjacent normal toe. It may exist helpful to place cotton fiber balls or other absorbent textile between the toes to prevent dampness and skin injury. A potent-soled shoe and crutches may be needed to help with walking. Healing should occur within 4 to 6 weeks.
• Fractures of the great toe that are displaced may require surgery to allow better healing. An orthopedic surgeon or podiatrist (foot specialist) may choose this option, simply oftentimes that decision is made electively a few days subsequently the injury.
• Open fractures of the toe unremarkably require practiced wound cleansing to prevent infection. At the aforementioned time the health intendance practitioner will ofttimes explore the wound, looking for foreign objects and evaluate the condition of deep structures like tendons, looking for lacerations.
• Metatarsal fractures ofttimes heal nicely with conservative care, meaning no operation is needed. The foot is wrapped for comfort to decrease swelling and placed in an orthopedic post-op or Reese shoe. Bandage boots also may be considered.
  • Starting time metatarsal fractures that are aligned nicely may be treated with a mail-op shoe with no weight bearing. If the fracture is displaced, meaning the bone fragments do not align, an operation to pin or plate the fracture may be considered.
  • Second, third, and fourth metatarsal fractures tend to heal nicely with an ace wrap for support and weight bearing every bit tolerated.
  • Stress fractures usually involve the second and third metatarsals, and are called "March fractures." March fractures were initially recognized in military recruits who were required to quickly increase the corporeality they walked. Splints , casts, or walking boots may be considered for pain command.
  • Fifth metatarsal fractures are of 2 types. Avulsion fracture at the very base of the os are treated in the same way as the other metatarsal fractures.
  • Jones fractures of the 5th metatarsal shaft have a non-healing (non-marriage) charge per unit of upwards to l% and oftentimes require surgery to fix the fracture.
• Lisfranc fracture dislocation injuries require surgery for repair.
• The handling of talus fractures depends upon where in the bone the fracture occurs.
• The top of the talus is dome-shaped and is part of the ankle articulation, fitting into the base of the tibia or shin os. This fracture may not be hands identified and sometimes can be mistaken for a non-healing talocrural joint sprain. The treatment is rest and avoidance of weight bearing.
• Talar cervix fractures oftentimes have difficulty healing considering of poor blood supply. Surgery may be required if the bone is displaced, otherwise no weight bearing in a cast for 2-3 months may exist required.
• A Shepherd fracture involves the posterior, or back part, of the talus and is seen in athletes who dance or boot. The treatment is immobilization in a cast.
• Lateral process fractures of the talus are becoming more common with increasing numbers of snowboarding injuries. Treatment includes no weight bearing in a cast.
• Calcaneus fractures require significant strength to occur and are associated with a marked amount of swelling and hurting. An orthopedic surgeon or podiatrist is frequently consulted emergently to make up one's mind whether surgery is needed to stabilize the fracture. CT scan may be needed to assess the extent of the fracture, and whether the fracture line enters the joint. The health-intendance professional also may look for associated injuries of the ankle, knee, hip, and lumbar spine.
• Immobilization of the fractured foot will assistance with pain command. Anti-inflammatory drugs similar ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) tin can be helpful with over-the-counter hurting command by decreasing inflammation in the area. Narcotic pain medication may also be prescribed if needed.
• Residual, ice, and meridian will assistance limit swelling and subtract pain.

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What are the complications of a cleaved foot?

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As with any injury, complications may occur.

• Broken bones may fail to heal, causing a non-union that may crave surgery to repair.
• If the fracture line enters a joint surface, arthritis may develop, even if the articulation surface has been aligned by surgery.
• Open fractures may be complicated by infection and damage to underlying structures like tendons, arteries, and nerves.
• Though it is uncommon, crush injuries to the human foot may cause significant swelling in the tight spaces of the human foot, leading to compartment syndrome. Should the pressure in one of these compartments rise above the patient's blood pressure, decreasing claret menses to the surface area of human foot across the injury. This is a surgical emergency and fasciotomies, incisions into the pes compartments, are performed to allow infinite for the swelling to occur, relieve the pressure, and restore blood supply to the foot.

Is it possible to forbid a broken foot?

• The foot is placed under considerable stress on a daily ground, arresting the pounding of walking, running, and jumping. Poorly-constructed and -cushioned shoes and obesity aid contribute to stress fractures and general instability of the foot.
• Loftier-affect sports that include twisting and direct blows to the anxiety increase the risk of fracture. Advisable protective equipment will help decrease the risk of injury.
• Certain occupations increment the adventure of foot injury. These include the construction trades in which weights may exist dropped on a foot, or falls from superlative may occur.
• People with osteoporosis or peripheral neuropathy may have increased risk of foot injury. For these people, information technology is important to decrease the clutter around the business firm to forbid injury from falling. It is as well helpful to limit the number of throw rugs in a domicile that can cause a person to trip and fall.

When should I call the dr. for foot pain?

• Most of the bones in the foot will eventually heal with residue, but some fractures may need surgery to repair.
• Often, it is the machinery of injury associated with the intensity of pain that makes the patient seek intendance. It is appropriate to seek medical care if the patient cannot walk normally without a limp.
• Medical care should be accessed immediately if an injury to the foot besides includes a laceration. The term "open fracture", previously named "compound fracture," describes a cleaved os that is associated with a break in the peel. Open fractures pose a significant take chances for major infection of the bone.
• Other reasons to seek care include:
  • Numbness or tingling in the toes, which may be an indication of nerve damage
  • A cool and white toot, which may signal avenue damage and decreased blood supply to the pes

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Medically Reviewed on 4/29/2021

References

Boutis, K. "Human foot fractures (other than metatarsal or phalangeal) in children. UpToDate. March 2019. <http://www.uptodate.com/contents/pes-fractures-other-than-metatarsal-or-phalangeal-in-children>.

Boutis, K. "Metatarsal and toe fractures in children." UpToDate. March 2019. <http://www.uptodate.com/contents/metatarsal-and-toe-fractures-in-children>.

Gravlee, J.R., et al. "Toe fractures in adults." UpToDate. March 2019. <http://world wide web.uptodate.com/contents/toe-fractures-in-adults>.

How Do You Know if You Have Fractured a Bone in Your Foot

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