5th Metatarsal Fracture Recovery

i just want to write an update; at my check up there was a bit of bone growth  in the x-ray so that was very promising, but it still looks largely like before (as i posted above). the doctor suggested starting full WB in boot asap, but only walking short distance, and carefully of course. my next check up is in a month and she didnt order an x-ray for that, makes me think wow is it really this simple now? she said if all goes well i'd be back to 'normal' in 6 weeks...  wtf? i want to be optimistic but i highly doubt it, maybe some misunderstanding. anyway happy that there is development.

Hello, I broke the base of the fifth metatarsal bone yesterday in a judo competition during a fight. I am 18 years old female. The orthopedist gave me a cast and crutches and my next appointment is in 12 days. He said that i would probably have to wear a cast for the next six weeks. I can't go to school and I have so many exams, I don't know how to deal with that and I am in final year. Do you think it will heal faster because i am young or not? It hurts when i move and laying down all day already drives me crazy. Any advices?

Thanks

im just gonna update my situation, as I know it's harder to find stories from people who already recovered. so i just got rid of my airboot & crutches now, basicallly 2.5 months after the injury. i was full weight bearing so it was time, and according to x-ray (i posted the initial injury x-ray earlier in the thread) the bone is healing well, new bone is forming. i am now walking with a slight limp and have some small aches in the ankle when i walk more, but these should be just the ligaments attached to ankle getting used to moving again. so overall ive healed well despite my fears and despite the break being quite ugly (and my age, 40ish). so, there is hope for others out there.  

I broke my 5th metatarsal 4 weeks ago. Trip to urgent care got me a boot and was told to see an orthopedic doctor. He showed me the X-ray.....asked about ankle pain ( none). He said the boot was fine and to stay off it as much as I can, then return in 4 weeks for another X-ray. The boot hurts my ankle and causes swelling. I have wrapped the foot with an ace bandage for stability, and wore the boot when leaving the house. I am able to walk with little to no pain..UNLESS I WEAR THE BOOT. I am not returning to have the second X-ray...doing my own ankle exercise to relieve the pain and swelling caused by the boot. I realize I probably have another 4 to 6 weeks of healing but that boot is not helping. Plus I don't want to pay another $250 for an office visit with not much info. This forum has been more help.

Long story short my foot pain started in 2012. First dr wanted me to wear inserts. Got a second opinion and that dr said it was mortons neuroma. He gave me shots. When that didn't work he went in and took out the nerve. I was in a boot for 8 weeks. After taking the boot off things seemed better for a couple of months. Then the pain returned.  I walked on it for a long time just hoping it would go away on its own.  In 2015 my knee on the same leg also started hurting severely so I decided it was time to see a dr. I went to a different dr because the one who do the nerve surgery just blew me off when I tried to see him again for the pain. So I had X-rays and an MRI on my knee and foot. Found that I have grade 4 cartlidge loss in my knee with bone spurs that are fished into my knee cap.  Also discovered that I had athritis and a hair line fracture in my left foot on my 4th and 5th toe bone where it's meets the middle section of the foot. Idk all the fancy names so bare with me lol. So he put me in a boot for 8weeks and sent me to therapy for my knee.  Therapy and lossing weight helped my knee tremendously but the boot had not helped my foot. So this dr sent me to another dr in the same clinic who specializes on feet.  After seeing him he talked over my options with me. What was happening was my 4th and 5th bones were literally grinding each other every step I took. He said we can do shots, we can go back to the boot but I know you have suffered for years for this so I will also recommend surgery. He would go in and fuse those two bones together so they would grow as one. After discussing and thinking about it I decided that I would do the surgery because nothing else has worked. So June 2017 I went in for my first fusion. He placed 2 staples in the bone. At my 4wk app he told me I could start applying Light weight so I did. As the weeks went on I put a little more weight each time. After 8wks I returned back to work part time which was house cleaning. Well around 12wks I lost my balance at my dads house and laid on my foot. When I went back for my check up I had broke a staple yes an 18mm titanium staple broke. And the bone had stopped fusing. He mentioned using a bone stimulator but he wanted a cat scan done first. Well after the Ct scan was done he said my only option was to redo the entire fusion this time with a bone graph. I was devastated but I the pain was so much worse so I had no choice. I went in Dec 22 2017 for my second fusion.  I am know 17 weeks out almost and my bone has again stopped fusing. I haven't walked on my foot but very tiny steps in 18wks. Completely crutch bound. He has order me an exogen bone stimulator to try.  After 4wks of fighting insurance I finally got the machine. I started treatments yesterday. I go see my dr next Wednesday for an X-ray and new cast. He will tell me then how long I will do these treatments but the exoygen guy said normally minimum of 6wks.  So I still have a long road ahead of me. 

A patient story from Finland, operated on private hospital based on insurance. In Finland this could have been also done in public hospital. There are longer queues in public hospital but you have already paid for the treatment with taxes. Anything that goes beyond some 700 euros annually on your health care will be paid by society. Pretty cool.

I broke my 5th metatarsal 16 days ago. It's pseudo Jones fracture so it's tuberosity avulsion fracture. Got the orthosis boot  for it and some pain killers (Ibuprofein 600mg 3 x day and paracetamol 1g 3 a day). After the first days there was some pain but it settled down quite quickly. The control x-ray was taken after the week and the dislocation was worse than in first x-ray. Decision was made to operate with ambition to use one screw to attach dislocated tuberosity to the base of the bone.

Surgery was done in general anesthesia yesterday and everything went smoothly in accordance to plans.

The incision wound healing is expected to take in total two weeks (that's when the stiches will be removed). First three days are most critical. Rest, elevation and cold to be used. Paracetamol pain killer to be replaced by 500mg paracetamol and 30 mg codein for the bone aching (depending on the pain either this or 1 mg paracetamol). My ambition is to get rid of regular use of pain killers in a week or so totally.

Best news is that orthosis needs to only used when walking, next three weeks it's going to be orthosis and crutches with max 50 % weight on operated foot. After three weeks additional 3 weeks with orthosis and 100 % weight and at this point I can also start to drive my car again!

No jumping or similar activities that but extra stress on the foot for next 3 months.

Hello there everyone,

I just found this forum by mistake, google-ing for 5th Metatarsal Fracture Recovery. I have recently fractured my foot while dancing, there was a step I didn't see on the dancefloor and there it went...directly into my 5th Metatarsal. (X-Rays attached)

The doctor said I have to go into surgery, but then I went to another and he said this can be healed with a walking boot - as is not such a severe fracture. I am very confused and I have to make a quick decision if I jump into operation or not. I would for sure go for the boot, I think surgery should be the last option...:(

Has anyone had a similar fracture? I understood it's called "Dancer's fracture". From what I read in the comments, you guys are talking about Jones fracture?

Thanks a lot in advance and hope everyone is healed by now!! 😃

Madalina