The foot is made up of 26 small bones, which can easily be broken. There are two types of break – traumatic fractures and stress fractures.
Traumatic fractures are caused by a direct blow or impact, such as seriously stubbing a toe. If the fracture is displaced – ie the bone has moved out of position, surgery may be necessary.
Stress fractures are tiny, hairline breaks that are caused by repetitive actions. They are common in athletes such as runners, but can also be caused by foot deformities, or wearing ill-fitting shoes.
With a traumatic fracture, you might feel a sound at the time of the break and pinpoint pain at the point of impact, which often goes away after several hours. You might notice bruising or swelling the next day, and the bone may look misshapen. Stress fractures can be pain-free while you’re resting, but on standing or resuming activity, it is painful. You my feel pinpoint pain where the bone is broken, and swelling, but no bruising.
After a physical examination, an x-ray is taken to verify the extent and exact location of the fracture.
to the foot is complex and requires a great deal of skill, due to the number of blood vessels, tendons, nerves, muscles and ligaments existing in such a small space. Bones that have been displaced due to fractures are re-aligned, and held in place with fixation devices such as pins and small metal plates.
Usually, you will have a cast or boot for your foot
for up to four to six weeks, and you may not be able
to put weight on your foot for four to six weeks after
surgery, depending on the type of fracture and surgery