Foot Fracture

A foot fracture is a bone break that happens in the bones of your foot, heel, toes, or ankle. There are different types of foot fractures, but the most common is a hairline fracture. These are also called stress fractures and are caused by repeated stress on the bones during exercise. Foot and ankle fractures can take a few weeks or several months to heal, depending on the type and severity of the injury.

• Ankle fractures. It can be hard to tell the difference between a sprained ankle and a broken ankle. This is partly because ligaments are often damaged when a bone breaks, so you can have a sprain and a break at the same time. If you have an ankle injury that causes a lot of pain and you can’t walk on it, it may be broken.
• Stress fractures in the foot. A stress fracture is a small crack in the bone because of repeated stress on the bone. Stress fractures cause pain when you put pressure on that fractured part of the foot. It feels better with rest. Stress fractures can be caused by overusing the foot in activities like running or from starting a new activity you’re not used to. This is especially true if your bones are weaker because of osteoporosis. Stress fractures can also happen in the bones at the ball of your foot from wearing high heels.
• Broken toes. Your toe bones can break from bending the wrong way, especially the smallest toe (pinky toe). They can also break from a direct hit which could happen if you kicked something hard or something fell on your foot. A broken toe might look crooked or bent, but it might just look red and swollen, or it may not show symptoms even after trauma to the area.

Symptoms of a foot fracture include:

• Swelling
• Bruising
• Redness
• Intense pain
• Numbness and tingling
• Difficulty moving your foot or toes
• Inability to put weight on the foot
• Or none of the after after a trauma or increase in activity

Treatment can usually be conservative but sometimes surgery is indicated. Dr Williams can direct you in the right direction!