5th metatarsal fracture help

Hi Marie,

My foot did just what yours is doing. I had a total break at a 45degree angle . i was in a hardcast though for 6weeks but when they took it off the 3 last toes were still bruised. The whole toe like you described. Since I was in a hardcast i dont know when they started to bruise..i dont think you have to worry, dont freak out.. Im surprised their allowing you to walk on it already. Everyone else on here werent allowed till 6-9 weeks.. Id be leary of putting to much weight on it.. You do what your Dr says though he knows best. I was just giving you my thoughts.. If you have anymore questions. Just ask and someone on here will get back to you soon.. Its a great group on here.. Feel better .

Thank you Hinkey2949! Glad to hear I'm not the only one with the bruised toes, i didn't know what to think! Yes I was surprised he said to "walk as pain allowed' too, but surprisingly the foot just gets a bit sore & achy, no big pain at all. I'm not walking a ton, just when I need to get around the house and a bit at work, I'm not walking the dogs or anything like that. Amazingly there has been no additional swelling. Aparently Dr. advice depends on if they are "old school" or "new school", the new Dr.s preferring you to weight bear more. I am being very careful, so far so good :-) here's hoping it's healing well and fast, for all of us!

Hi Marie,  My "Jones" fracture was 6 weeks ago and I was put in a low top boot when I went to the ER.  I had no problems with the boot at all.  It did hurt to walk on my foot for 3-4 days but after that no problem.  I took the boot off when I went to bed at night and even gently walked on my foot if I had to get up to use the bathroom without pain.  My foot however looked horrible!! and it kept changing.  My fracture (right foot) was caused from a bad twisted ankle and sprain.  To begin with the swelling and bruising was all on the R side of my foot.  The next day I also had a bruise from the base of my big toe in a line all the way back to my heel about the width of a pencil.  That looked very weird to me but I had an appt. in a week with an Orthopedist.  Another bruise the next day on my inside ankle bone and my ring toe started to look darker.  Anyway my 2nd 3rd and 4th toes also ended upbadly bruised but they didn't hurt and also were not numb and I would wiggle them.  I was told those places were where the blood was settling.  My swelling got worse also as a matter of fact, today is the first day that I can see all of the veins on the top of my foot.  I was walking so well in my boot that I was just sure the Ortho Dr will tell me I could remove my boot for short periods of time so that I could drive.  I even walked barefoot to the xray room during the visit.  Well Dr. decided to put me in a non weight bearing cast for 4 weeks.  Ugh.  You are doing very well!  You are probably still young and heal well.  I've now been in a tall boot and on a walker for 1 week and go back to Dr. in 2 weeks.  I hope all is still good for this old lady.

Thanks Devsmom.  I'm so sorry they put you back in a cast! Ugh. I sure hope I don't have to do that. Mine is also right-foot, but a spiral, which I am told is a bit easier to heal than a Jones...I'm not so young (48) but in decent shape, so hopefully that counts for something ;-) Yea the foot is doing weird things, the strange toe bruising, (that seems to keep changing!) bruise on the bottom sole of my foot, though there hasn't seemed to be any additional swelling. I'm still hobbling along in the boot, though I think I overdid it yesterday as it really ached last night ;-) Now my heel is starting to really hurt as well, I suppose from the odd pressure the boot puts on it. Sigh. (anyone try putting a pad under the heel, and did it help?)  I will continue to take it as easy as possible on it and hope for the best at my 5-week appointment.

Marie, my heel started to hurt real bad too andy Dr. Said it was because I was walking differently on my feet. Thats when the Planters Facetious started. Dr. Said for me to get some "Vionic" shoes .they have some cute ones. They are very supportive and said to get some "Orthotic" full insoles to put in my shoes . i ordered bith off of Amazon. I also wear a copper foot sock on my foot I broke. That has really made a big differemce! Its tight and gives the foot lots of support. I think the copper helps the burning at the end of the day as well as controlling the swelling. Just some things Ive tried that have worked for me. Im further aling in the healing process than you all. Hope this helps to give you options to try.

I'm going to look into those, thanks! I totally need orthotics anyway, I have flat feet ;-) Thinking I may try padding my heel and hopefully prevent any issues...

Hello Hinky and to Everyone else on this group!

I am new to this group. I fractured my fifth metatarsal (left foot) just over three weeks ago (non displaced and NOT a Jones fracture). I have to tell you that I stumbled across this thread and I have subsequently read it multiple times! You all have been a great support to me just by being able to read your experiences. I have been able to gauge my progress based on yours. I think it has kept me sane (my husband would likely argue with me at this point, questioning any claim of sanity).

I am very active with three very busy kids, ages 16, 15 and 12. I was heading to the post office just over 3 weeks ago and carrying a large box out the front door. The box was so big that I couldn't really see where I was walking and I ended up missing the step out the door and rolling my foot and ankle. Gah! A split second mistake and now I'm sidelined for weeks! Thankfully, my kids are old enough to fend for themselves a bit and they and my husband can help out until I'm back in the saddle.

I've been in a removable boot from day 1, but I'm completely NWB. I've had 2 orthopedist appointments so far, new x-rays each time, and the fracture looked the same both times, which I was told is to be expected during the first two weeks. My next appointment is on May 2 (which will be 4.5 weeks after the fracture), but my orthopedist has hinted that I should expect to remain NWB in this boot until at least week 6. It sounds like remaining NWB is pretty consistent with what others have done, but I wish there was some way to speed up the healing process. I live in Minnesota and we are heading to Texas for a relative's wedding over Memorial Day weekend. I'm a bit nervous about traveling and the potential for lots of misery with this foot. My orthopedist suggested that I would likely still be in a walking boot and be able to bear some weight by then or be in s special hard-soled shoe by then. Either way, it will pose a challenge for deciding what to wear to this wedding!!

Fortunately, I am able to work from home while I am recovering, so I spend my days mostly in bed with my foot propped up while I work on the computer and take conference calls. This has been a godsend. Likely because of this, I have almost no swelling anymore (although I keep my foot elevated A LOT) and the only bruising is on my three small toes. Funny how they are somewhat removed from the point of the fracture and yet they are still bruised (I am not worried about it).

I hope you are doing well!

Anna

Hello Anna, Welcome to the group!! Its nice to know that we have beem a help to you just by reading our posts. If we can help,anyone of us certainly will try too. Sounds like youve settled into a routine with your family. Again. Welcome and keep us posted on your progress. Do as your Dr says and hope for the best. I had a great Dr!? Good luck to you and Ill be looking for some progress reports

Hinkywil2

Hi Hinky,

I've been reading some of your old posts (again) about your struggle with plantar fasciitis. At four and a half weeks post fracture, my x-ray showed that good healing was starting and I was told to start weight bearing, gradually, and work up to 100% weight bearing over a two week time period. Weight bearing up to 50% went well, but when I transitioned to 75% weight bearing on one crutch, my heel pain was terrible. It felt like there were Legos or a screw in my boot. I even looked for a rock. Nothing. Fortunately, the first few steps after resting my foot are the worst and then the pain seems to subside. It is still annoying! As if we haven't been through enough!

Today I had a follow up appointment (6.5 weeks post fracture). I'm still only at about 75% weight bearing, comfortably. I can walk somewhat in the boot with 100% weight, but it's a lopsided, clod hopping debacle of sorts. My orthopedist gave me a surgical shoe today that isn't as high as my walking boot, so it won't be so lopsided. Plus it has Velcro and is adjustable, since my foot is so swollen that my normal shoes don't got. He told me to try to lose the boot and start 100% weight bearing consistently because that is what is going to be best to stimulate but bone growth and the fastest return to full recovery. I am struggling with full weight bearing in the shoe. In fact, I have to use one crutch because my ankle is so weak that I feel like I'm going to fall over without it. Between the heel pain, Achilles pain in my ankle (from non-use) and general soreness in my foot, it is frustrating! I know this will pass, but it seems as if each new phase of recovery has it's own challenges. And my path to recovery has been relatively easy compared to some.

Thank you again for sharing your experience here. It truly has been such a help to me!

Anna

Hi! Your story is so similar to mine! I also have three kids ages 15, 14 and 12. It is so hard to be out of commission! I was also given a removable boot from day one. I go back for X-rays in a week to see how it looks. That will be 4 weeks out from injury. I've been going insane cooped up at home too so I just scour the Internet for any information or encouragement. Lol. Thanks for sharing your experience. You are about 6 weeks ahead of me I think so I look forward to hearing about your speedy recovery!!!

Anna, I experienced the pain when trying to walk also. The way I described it was putting my foot in a bucket of ice water until it became numb and trying to walk on it while it was frozen. It felt like needles and knives were pressing into my foot. I was informed because I had not been using it for six weeks while in a nonweightbearing cast that it was my nerve endings awakening. I am not very coordinated on crutches so I used a walker once I was able to walk again

I basically had to teach myself to walk again as I was in a nonweightbearing cast for six weeks and then they preferred me not to walk for another four weeks in a boot. 10 weeks total without walking.

Hello! Yes, I can very much relate to your frustration after being totally out of commission with this injury. I've missed watching many of my kids' lacrosse games, volleyball tournaments, and dance competitions this spring. So frustrating! I was fortunate that I broke my left foot, so I've been able to drive the entire time. Having said that, the first two weeks were very uncomfortable and I could feel every bump in the road while driving (or riding), so I didn't venture out much. I know how isolating this can be, so hang in there. I had to take each day as it came and every Wednesday I kind of celebrated the fact that it was one more week of healing and closer to being back to normal.

Today is 7 weeks post fracture and I finally worked my way out of the boot this evening! I am very excited and exhausted at the same time. My ankle is very weak and the nerves on the bottom of my foot fire random shocks through my heel, ball of my foot and toes while I am walking. Right now I practice walking by doing laps around the island in my kitchen so I can quickly grab onto it if needed. It's getting better and it seems like every day  there is noticeable progress, which is great.

We are taking a family trip to Alaska in about 7.5 weeks. We were planning to do some day hiking in the mountains - about 5-8 miles a day - while on vacation. Now the goal is to slowly work my way up to walking at least 5 miles over the next several weeks. I have not gone to physical therapy, but I've Googled some exercises online and have started doing some of the easier exercises on my own in the evenings. I'm hoping I can be walking about a half mile to a mile by week 8 (next week). We will see how it goes!

Sending healing thoughts your way. I hope you get good news this week and that you are able to lose the boot soon, too. Hopefully you'll be able to kick off summer working your way back to a full recovery in two shoes!

Shawney,

Thank you for sharing your experience about learning how to walk again. All of this nerve pain is a bit unnerving! ;-)

I find that I have a tendency to worry about each pain and analyze where it is on my foot. If it seems close to the fracture site I get nervous. If the nerve pain is in my heel and toes I don't worry, but it's still distracting and uncomfortable.

I hope you are well and can look forward to spending the summer taking walks on two fully functioning feet!

Hi Hinky,

I've been in shoes for about 5 days and we have a wedding to go to this weekend, so I decided to try a pair of the Vionic shoes. They were delivered today and they are AWESOME! Thanks for the suggestion. The arch support is amazing and they are very comfortable. 

 

Hi!

Just wondering how you are progressing since you are a couple weeks ahead of me in recovery. I went last Monday for a follow up xray and my fracture is almost completely healed! You can hardly see it. My doctor said to transition out of the boot into sturdy shoes so I have been out of my boot for a week and a half. I am almost 6 weeks out from injury now. My foot is pretty sore when I walk around. Most of the pain is not at the fracture though. It's the ball of my foot and the top of my foot near my third through fifth toes. He said the soft tissue injury from rolling my foot will take another four weeks at least to heal do I guess that's where the pain is from. Frustrating. I want to be better!! Lol. Hope you are doing well.

Hello!

I've been in a shoe for about two weeks now. The first week and a half I had pain along the side of my foot, but not at the fracture site, and also on the top of my foot by my third through fifth toes. Now I don't have much pain at all. I had initially been wearing my hiking shoes with a very stiff sole. A few days ago I switched to my Asics tennis shoes and my foot feels much better in these shoes. Occasionally I will feel an odd twinge at the fracture site. My foot generally gets sore if I stand for a long time. My ankle also tends to get swollen, too. The worst thing is that I've been walking with a limp and I can't seem to shake it, even when my foot doesn't hurt. It's the strangest thing.

I see my orthopedist again next Monday. I'm hoping the limp is almost gone by then. If not, I might need to ask about physical therapy to see if that would help. I'd like get back to my normal walking gait as soon as possible!

I hope your recovery continues to go well and that your aches and pains in your foot resolve quickly!!

Anna

Hi!

Glad to hear you are getting back into normal shoes too. I have had the exact same pain you are describing. I also have he same odd limp and it's like I can't figure out how to walk normally!! I can't pinpoint why I even limp. I do get sore sometimes but often I'm not painful, just can't seem to walk right. I asked my doctor yesterday and he said my gait will return to normal as I heal more so I guess it just takes time. I will be interested to hear what your doctor has to say about it!

Thanks for sharing that you, too, have a limp. I have tried and tried to walk normally, but even when I think the limp is gone, my family tells me that I'm still limping. I'll let you know what the orthopedist says on Monday!

The limp thing! I feel you. I think it's mostly pshycological, but I do it, too. Really working on it now myself, I have to focus on walking normally. I too find athletic shoe is the most comfortable, (I did get a pair of the Vionic sandals, though my foot aches more in those) but I am crying at not being able to wear all the pretty sandals and heels in my closet this summer :-( I am now 2.5 months post-injury (total break, mid-shaft) and healing slowly, but healing. (Orthopedist said, "It's taking it's sweet time, but it's healing") Still having aches and pains daily, much of it in the ankle and sometimes toes (I do think I am still walking wierd). At this point just praying I'm all good by my August wedding/honeymoon so I can wear real shoes!

Yah, what is with that limp?  Does everyone get it?  I can walk normally if I concentrate on my walk, but I do walk slower than normal for me.  I think mine was because of my twisted ankle not liking the forward bend along with my toe pain.  For me when my injured foot was behind both the ankle bend and toe "push"  to bring my leg forward caused the limp.  I think the strengthing exercises with the resistance bands from PT have helped me.  Oh and I couldn't wear the Vionic sandals either.  My arch is too low and it felt like walking on a pinecone.  I did get a pair of Merrell sandals that I love.  I will keep my fingers crossed for great shoes for you in August.  

Thanks Devsmom :-) I have flat feet too and that may contribute to the vionics hurting a bit, though I did get used to them after awhile. Who knows, maybe they will help my flat feet ;-)

 

Well Devsmom you got me real courious about this limp thing.  Soooo, I asked my husband if I walked with a limp.. He said, yes sometimes I notice you do.  Then he said, he noticed that I did linp more when I came homw from work.  Now, I'm onmy feet all day long, so I'm thinking maybe it's whn I'm tired and my feet are tired?  I really don't know I'm limping either.  This is very interesting.  I wonder if this will be forever?  It will be my 1 yr. anniversary of breaking my foot on July 23rd.  This has been a rough year but I think I'm doing great .  It still aches and I will sometimes get sharp pains in it but It hasn't kept me down.  I do wear my Vionic shoes to work the walking shoe one. I do believe that has been my salvation for being on my feet all day.  They do give me the arch support I need but they cn also make my foot ache at the end of the day.  Don't know if it's the shoes or just my foot developing arthritus now?  Either way I will learn to live with it.Thanks ( I think) for mentioning the "Limp" thing.  I had NO idea I was limping sometimes either.  INTERESTING ver interesting... 

Hi Hinky,  It's good to hear from you. I also think that you are doing GREAT.  Especially working and on your feet all day long.  Do you find that you are not as vigilent going up and down those train steps as in the beginning?  I used to be kinda afraid of taking the 2 steps into the garage and now I don't even think about it............probably at my peril.  I get into the garage and think I've got be be careful on steps and in the uneven yard & flower beds.........then I forget.  As with you my limp is just after being active most all of the day.  I think some times I'm on my feet more since retirement than before.  I'm glad that you found good shoes that work well for you.  I went to a local store and tried a number of brands.  I didn't want to get something by mail because I foot is somewhat narrow and if the shoe isn't narrow enough or it doesn't lace up my foot slides to the end and hurts my toes.  I don't know if I have "flat" feet or not certainly a low arch.  Besides my limp the only lingering issue is swelling and redness.  When I was in the cast everything even all my toes were swollen.  Now it's limited to the ankle and top of my foot just forward of the ankle.  Did you have swelling and if so for how long?  I don't know if you will limp all the time now or not.  It sounds like it just became your normal walk.  I know I had to concentrate not to limp or I would automatically.  Now it's mostly late at night in my bedroom slippers.    June 25th will be my 4 month anniversary.  So I think I'm doing very well too.  I go back to the ortho doc the end of July and hope to get back to my areobic exercise program rather than the senior program or I'm going to have to buy bigger clothes and pay at Weight Watchers.  Has it been hot in your area?  I don't miss summers in AL.