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Broken 5th metarsal. Xray included.

Posted , 5 users are following.

Crewbean
Crewbean

I broke my 5th metatarsal 11 weeks ago Sunday. Its been healing very slowly and I had my last xray Tuesday. The doctor was very poor I met. He basically said if I've no pain I'm ok. I've been doing some running and jumping this week just testing out how it feels and there is only very slight discomfort. Just wanted to know if he was right to let me out anf should I return to sport? Could it be healed but just not showing up radiographically? I dont have my older xray but I think the break used to go fully across the bone. Any help appreciated!

0 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

  • tonyhh43f
    tonyhh43f Crewbean

    Posted

     Just for safety sake go to a sports medicine clinic and get examined. 
  • cathy82931
    cathy82931 Crewbean

    Posted

    My daughter broke her 3 middle metatarsal in a sledding mishap a few years back, she was in a boot for 14 weeks.  

    Are you having any swelling with the discomfort?  If so, I would think it might need a little more time.  

  • Crewbean
    Crewbean

    Posted

    No I never really had swelling anyway though even when I initially broke it. Its also my 5th Metatarsal
  • henpen1980
    henpen1980 Crewbean

    Posted

    I broke my 5th complete fracture and ended up in a fiberglass cast x 3.  I was an All American swimmer in college and needed to keep competing.  I swam with the cast on and then had to dry it with a handheld dryer after ever practice and meet.  The padding would move which sucked.  I attended college in a northerner climate which sucked as the cast would freeze as I gimped across campus on crutches after practice.  I ended up having the cast(s) cut off and new ones put on due to the discomfort.  I dragged that stinking wet cast behind me during practice for weeks and during competition.  At 4 or 5 weeks, my dad phoned and said enough with the casts; for the boot.  I had great college trainers who helped with taping.  All in all, it took 12 weeks and then PT to regain function...full flex and rom took much longer.  I qualified for nationals and made All American once more.  You have to be smart.  If you had a crappy doctor get a second opinion.  Have you gone to PT?  IF not, why?  Are you working at home with rom and flexion?  Are you icing?  Are you using heat?  Good luck.
    • Crewbean
      Crewbean henpen1980

      Posted

      Sounds like rough going. No did no PT yet. My foot and calf was killing this past week but the muscles are used to walking again already and majority of that discomfort has passed. Think I'm gonna just ease back into and see what it feels like as I'm playing. The ankle brace someone mentioned would be a good shout for me too I think. I put in a link to the x ray but has to be moderated first which is frustrating.

    • devsmom
      devsmom henpen1980

      Posted

      Great story henpen.  You've really got drive and it worked out for you.  Congrats!  It's hard for me to even think about what you went through.  I was freaked out the one time I got a small tear on the bottom of the giant plastic trash bag that I wrapped and taped my foot and leg in to be able to shower.  Yep the padding inside the fiberglass cast got wet and I also dried it out with a handheld hair dryer and a fat knitting needle stuck in between my foot and cast for air circulation.  I was lucky that I never had crutches cause I would have fallen and something else would have broken.  I had a knee scooter and then a walker.  I was also lucky because I was physically fit (at 69) and could bend and move to be able to get that "stinking wet cast" up to be able to work with the knitting needle and hair dryer so as to dry out the padding from my toes to my heal.  I also did double duty PT because I was missing my 4Xweekly exercise classes.  So glad it's over and back to normal.  You made me chuckle henpen.  Thanks, Devsmom 

    • henpen1980
      henpen1980 devsmom

      Posted

      We all make eventually!  As I have gotten older I am not as fearless...but we all make it in the end!!  Enjoy the weekend!!
    • henpen1980
      henpen1980 devsmom

      Posted

      a knitting needle!! who knew!!! it makes sense... but it still sucks and it is still a stinking wet cast.  

       

  • devsmom
    devsmom Crewbean

    Posted

    I'm not sure just what you mean when you said "healing very slowly" and "doctor was very poor".  Have you had any physical therapy?  I broke my 5th metatersal and was in a non weight bearing cast from my toes to my knee for 4 weeks.  I was going to go into a weight bearing cast for another 4 weeks BUT because I was healing well I was allowed to go into an air cast boot up to my knee.  After those weeks my xrays showed good healing and I was released to walk normally.  Doctor wanted my physical therapist to determine when I could return to exercise classes that included any running or jumping.  I was 69 y/o and scared to break something else so when I did go back to step classes I wore a special ankle brace from the doctor.  I don't know how your break happened but mine was because I twisted my ankle on stairs and that caused my 5th to break.  Anyway I was very careful of my ankle because I didn't want it to cause another problem.  Since you are having very slight discomfort you probably could continue running and jumping in moderation.  As far as a "return to sport" I guess it would depend on the sport and a follow up with a medical professional wouldn't hurt.  Why not call their offices and see what they say.  Good luck.

    • Crewbean
      Crewbean devsmom

      Posted

      I don't actually know if it is healing very slowly really. Just expected to be back sooner. As far as the doctor went I met the last day he only barely glanced at my xray and never looked at my older x rays to even see how it compares. Gave me very vague responses and no follow up appointment so i'm on my own now essentially. No PT was mentioned at any stage either. I'm really sure if I'd even call what I feel pain its nearly more a "feeling" than anything else if that makes sense. I can press the fracture site hard as I like and there's no pain either so I'm confused as to why.

  • Crewbean
    Crewbean

    Posted

    I'm after getting the x ray down to a low enough file size to upload now!

    • devsmom
      devsmom Crewbean

      Posted

      Is that your first xray?  As I recall my xrays, my 5th fracture was not in the same place as yours is.  Mine was farther forward than your picture and was called a Jones fracture.  The bone was narrow and broken on one side and in two places on the other side with the 3 breaks meeting in the middle. The bone nor the pieces were out of place.  I could see the gaps.  I made my doctor show me the first and second xrays and tell me exactly what was going on.  Basicly there was "debris" in the first xray broken bone spaces.  In the second xray all the debris had been "carried away" and the spaces were a milky color. Doc said that was the new bone material brought by the blood supply to the break to heal it.  He was happy and I was happy because altho he wanted to put me in a weight bearing cast for another 4 weeks he put me in a boot instead as long as I wore it 24/7.  I did!  Your doctor should explain what he sees and why your treatment is correct for you.  I don't understand why your xray shows such a gap and you are just fine to be on your own without more followup or PT.  Check it out. 

  • ann53853
    ann53853 Crewbean

    Posted

    Hi! I have fractured 2 ankle bones(not sure which ones). I was hoping to get my cast off yesterday, but the doctor told me the healing was incomplete. It has been over 6 weeks now and I am getting impatient. When I read your comment about you being a "slow healer"; it made me feel less alone. 

    • devsmom
      devsmom ann53853

      Posted

      My 5th metatarsal break was my right foot and I couldn't DRIVE.  I really really hated that.  I couldn't wait to get my cast off and be able to really shower and put weight on my foot.  When that happened I still couldn't drive even thought I was in a huge boot but Doc said I even had to wear the boot to bed at night so I wouldn't be tempted to walk to the bathroom without it at midnight.  I too was very impatient and now know that EVERYTHING takes much longer that I wanted.  I can tell you that when this is finally over for you, after a few months of being able to get around normally it will seen like all of what you are going through never happened.  Perhaps I just wiped that bad stuff from my memory.  You can too.  BTW everyone is going to heal at different rates based on age, health, compliance with instructions, PT............

    • henpen1980
      henpen1980 devsmom

      Posted

      ME TOO!! right foot.  I just threw my right foot over the hump and drove with my left!!  Thank God I did not have a manual/stick shift on the floor.... hahahaha

       

    • henpen1980
      henpen1980 ann53853

      Posted

      guess what!?  we are all slow healers!!  FEEL BETTER and hang in there!!  This is only temporary!! GOOD LUCK
    • devsmom
      devsmom henpen1980

      Posted

      How devilish of you.  I was chauffeured around......hahaha
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