![]() Nonunion, or failure to heal, can lead to subsequent surgery or chronic pain.įractures of the toe bones are almost always traumatic fractures.Arthritis, which may be caused by a fracture in a joint (the juncture where two bones meet), or maybe a result of angular deformities that develop when a displaced fracture is severe or has not been properly corrected.A deformity in the bony architecture, which may limit the ability to move the foot or cause difficulty in fitting shoes.In fact, if a fractured toe or metatarsal bone is not treated correctly, serious complications may develop. Some people say that “the doctor can’t do anything for a broken bone in the foot.” This is usually not true. Pinpoint pain (pain at the site of the fracture) when touched.Pain that goes away when resting and then returns when standing or during activity.They require proper medical attention to heal correctly. Improper footwear may also lead to stress fractures. They can also be caused by an abnormal foot structure, deformities or osteoporosis. Stress fractures often afflict athletes who, for example, too rapidly increase their running mileage. Stress fractures are tiny hairline breaks usually caused by repetitive stress. Crooked or abnormal appearance of the toe.Pinpoint pain (pain at the place of impact) at the time the fracture occurs and perhaps for a few hours later, but often the pain goes away after several hours.Hearing a sound at the time of the break.Signs and symptoms of a traumatic fracture include: If the fracture is displaced, the bone is broken in such a way that it has changed in position (malpositioned). Traumatic fractures can be displaced or nondisplaced. Traumatic fractures (also called acute fractures) are caused by a direct blow or impact, such as seriously stubbing your toe. Fractures can be divided into two categories: traumatic fractures and stress fractures. What Is a Fracture?Ī fracture is a break in the bone. It is not true that “if you can walk on it, it’s not broken.” A foot and ankle surgeon should be seen for proper diagnosis and treatment, even if initial treatment has been received in an emergency room. Fractures of the toe and metatarsal bones are common and require evaluation by a specialist. Of the 28 bones in the foot, 19 are toe bones (phalanges) and metatarsal bones (the long bones in the midfoot). And if one of the contestants is bouncing around on an injured digit, leave the judging to the dance competition and the podiatry to the professionals.The structure of the foot is complex, consisting of bones, muscles, tendons and other soft tissues. So, if you suspect a fracture, and you can still move the foot or toes, don’t assume – even if you’re a contestant on whatever that show is. And some injuries that appear quite swollen and bruised, with limited motion of the extremity, are revealed to be non-fractured on X-ray. A severe fracture will limit motion due to swelling and pain, but a non-displaced single fracture of most bones of the foot and ankle will allow full motion of the extremity, and this is certainly the case in stress fractures. Many patients are able to move their foot or toes, and the X-ray tells no lie – some are fractured, some are not. X-ray, available in the office, settles the debate. I’ve seen many types of fractures in my NYC podiatry office, and they usually follow a predictable pattern and present with a characteristic appearance, so much so that a fracture can be predicted with a pretty good degree of accuracy from the clinical appearance. Now that we’ve covered all that, let’s get back to the original question. More complex foot fractures, such as those of the heel bone, as well as ankle fractures, may require surgical treatment. Most fractures heal very well with rest and splinting or protected weightbearing in the case of metatarsal fractures. Of course other bones of the foot and ankle are also commonly fractured, especially the ankle, which is the most commonly injured joint in the body. Generally, the mechanism of injury is either blunt force, as in knocking a poor digit into the bedpost in the middle of the night, or a twisting injury, especially in metatarsal fractures. Toe and metatarsal fractures are very prevalent, and one of the more common complaints in any NYC podiatry office. ![]() This got me thinking about an oft-heard maxim in my NYC podiatry office (pun intended- gotta read the article to get it), and that is, “It’s not broken, because I can move it.” Anyway, I came across an article last week in which a contestant on Dancing was accused of faking a toe injury. For the record, The Price is Right might be the most entertaining show on TV. I’ve also never seen American Idol or The Voice. I have a little confession to make: I don’t watch Dancing with the Stars.
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