Jones fracture 5th metatarsal -- 3 months in walking boot and now problems walking

Posted , 10 users are following.

I broke my 5th metatarsal, a Jones fracture. That, of course, took forever to heal since I am over 65 and I had to wear an Aircast walking boot for three months.

Now I am out of the walking boot for a little les than two months and my break and ankle sprain have both healed nicely. However, I am having problems for which I need advice.

I have a lot of pain across the top of my foot especially when I wear shoes and the front of my foot behind the toes hurts when I walk and cannot support weight as it could before. I cannot, for example, walk around on my tips as I could easily do before.

I am thinking I need an MRI to look for soft tissue injury but the doctor seems to feel my problems with pass after I have been out of the walking cast wonder. I am not convinced.

What do you think? How long has it taken others to stop limping after using an Aircast boot for three whole months? What about the pain? Is that normal after having to use an Aircast boot for that long?

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Posted

    I think you should go to a therapist as for sure your muscles need training and yes pain and limping takes a lot of time..Don't worry

  • Posted

    It takes full year for things to heal.  Ive had a few breaks and surgeries, and the nerve pain is the pits.  If you are not in PT, i would get it.  Keep working at it, it will take time. The older we get the longer it takes to heal. Hang in there!
  • Edited

    Hi Forpeople (interesting handle),

     I also had a Jones fracture and am over 65 (70 in 3 weeks).  It doesn't sound like your treatment, however, was the same as mine.  I was put in a low boot at the ER. The next week when I went to the Orthopedist, he put me in a non weight bearing cast for 4 weeks.  Next, rather than a weight bearing cast he put me in a high boot for 24 hrs a day for another 3 weeks.  Physical therapy followed and after 8 months I'm almost back to normal except.  I developed pain between my foot and my big toe,  I also could not walk on my toes.  Not that I do that much at 69, but it hurts somewhat to walk because of the pain at that joint when I push that back foot forward when I take a step.  I discussed this with the physical therapist and in looking at the xray of my foot we both could see that arthritis set into that joint.  I guess that was caused by being imobilized for sometime or maybe cause of my age!   As far as limping, that was the last thing to get better and I had to concentrate on walking properly.  A very slight limp became normal for me because I was non weight bearing for 4 weeks then afraid to put weight on my foot.  I favored the injured foot without thinking and that became my unconcious walk.  Now I'm walking quickly was I did before and not limpin  but it took the most time.   I have not returned to all of my exercise classes yet but most of them I'm okay with.  I'm still afraid to jump and land with my full weight on my injured foot or even with my feet seperated like jumping jacks.  Landing on both feet together is fine.  My toe joint pain from arthritis is I guess normal for someone "our" age.  Reading about other younger people on this site that have had a Jones fracture I think we have done great!  My doctor told me that a Jones fracture has hard to heal because of a limited blood supply in the area and I wasn't 20 anymore!  When he released me, quicker than I thought, after 7 weeks, I asked him if I healed like a 20 year old.  He said maybe a 25 year old.  Well, he was done with me but healing continued well past his treatment.  Months and months.  I'm still not "normal" but sooooo much better than 8 months ago.  Are you doing PT?  It really helps.  Keep me up dated on your progress since us Jone's girls have to stick together.  

  • Edited

    I came out of my aircast about 12 weeks after the accident. After walking in normal shoes for a month and regular visits to physio my physio insisted I went back to the hospital for anothe x-ray which confirmed my break was still non union. Have you had any scans or x-rays since the incident so show proof of healing?

     

  • Edited

    Hi-How is your foot doing? I broke my 5th metatarsal base at the end of April 2022.

    i was in an air boot but told to walk as pain allowed. I'm an overachiever type. Im not wearing the boot but I am still wearing a hard sole shoe. Im 65-Ive read that these can take 4-5 months to heal and Im willing to wait that long bc I dont want surgery. Although it does hurt sometimes.....still. Any thoughts or advice are appreciated!

  • Edited

    can someone please advise I sustained my jones fracture nearly 15 weeks ago and was placed in a walking boot and crutches. returned to hospital several times fir xrays and check up. my fracture is still non union and they don't think its going to heal anymore, I've been given 2 options carry on the way that i am get back into shoes and carry on or surgery. the doctor hasn't really explain anything just gave me them 2 options . can soneone please advise

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