What is it?
The Iowa Clinic Foot & Ankle Surgery department provides foot and ankle fracture care of all kinds. The most common fractures include ankle joint, metatarsal bone, sesamoid bone, and toe fractures.
Ankle Joint Fracture: Fracturing of bones in the ankle. These injuries require immediate medical attention and may require surgery. There are many types of ankle fractures.
Stress Fractures: Small cracks or severe bruises within a bone.
Types of Foot Fractures:
- Avulsion Fractures: Fragment of bone pulls away from the larger bone due to a forceful contraction of a muscle or ligament.
- Jones Fractures: Fracture that occurs at the base of the fifth metatarsal (the long bone on the outside of the foot), often caused by sudden twisting or injury.
- Toe Fractures: Usually the result of direct trauma or sports-related injuries.
- Talar Fractures: Fractures involving the talus bone, which is a bone in the ankle joint. These fractures are less common but do require immediate medical attention due to the importance of the talus bone for proper ankle functioning.
- Calcaneal Fractures: Fractures involving the calcaneus bone, which is the largest bone that forms the heel. These fractures are usually caused by a fall at a significant height or an accident.
- Metatarsal Bone Fractures: Fractures in one of the metatarsal bones, which are the long bones in the middle of the foot that connect the toes to the foot. These fractures can be the result of direct trauma or repetitive stress on the foot.
What are the causes?
Various injuries can result in fractures of the foot. Fractures can be caused by trauma due to sports injuries, falls or accidents, or repetitive stress to the foot from things like sports or dancing. Certain medical conditions such as osteoporosis, genetics, or old age can also be common causes.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of a fracture include persistent and increasing pain and throbbing, bruising, swelling, and tenderness of the area surrounding the fracture. You may be unable to put weight on the foot or have a limited range of motion. Numbness or tingling may also result due to nerve damage. In severe cases, the bone may be visibly protruding from the skin.
What is the diagnosis procedure?
Fractures are diagnosed by a medical professional who will perform a physical examination. Imaging is usually performed to confirm the diagnosis assess the severity and determine the treatment. X-rays, musculoskeletal ultrasounds, MRI, CT scans, and weight-bearing CT scans may be ordered.
What are the treatment options?
Some fractures require surgery depending on the severity, displacement, and location of the fracture. For those that do not require surgery, rest, ice, compression, and elevation are recommended.
Intra-articular fractures (the break extends into the joint), displaced fractures, open fractures (bone breaks the skin), comminuted fractures (where the bone breaks into pieces), avulsion, and certain types of stress fractures will typically require surgical intervention.