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Broken 5th metatarsal..need help

Posted , 4 users are following.

beth80030
beth80030

Hello, I have broken my 5th metatarsal bone in 2 spots close together, it was not displaced but if it shifts its a whole chunk of bone. In emergency i had xrays and was told its a bad break that does not usually heal,properly and that i need surgery. I went 4 days later to fracture clinic and they said th3y want to call it a "jones fracture" but that because its broke completly in 2 places its tricky. The previous xray showed luckily it was not displaced and i kept the air cast and told to go back for xray in 4 weeks. One dr said to basically not to move and non weight bearing and another said i can use my heal. The goal is to not let the bone shift and hopefully avoid surgery. They left me very confused. Its been almost 2 weeks and i get pain off and on. When i elevate my foot the pain stops and as soon as i would begin to lower it i get very sharp burning like pressure on top of my foot around the break. It gets swollen after i crutch around for even just going across the street to corner store but it relaxes when i lay down and elevate. Since this pa8n has been happening its now swelling more on top at the break but its hard and very tender..sometimews hot and red but it calms down. I do not do much but i have 2 kids, one which has a lot of medical issues and actually was ambulanced to childrens hospital the day after i broke it. Im completely on my own and my son has a ton of upcoming appointments which is travelling an hour away on a cpl busses and through a busy train station..jist a lot of walking and all i have are crutches. I guess my questions are..am I doing too much and making it more likely for the bone to shift..has anyone experienced a non displaced break and then have it shift and need surgery? Is there a way to tell myself if ive shifted the bone? Has anyone experienced the same kind of pain?? I read this is one of the hardest and longest fractures to heal but all the info is sooo different from everyone im confused. Im so scared of surgery as i know some people take up to a year to heal. Any help or info from others who experienced this type of brake would be so appreciated.

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

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  • Patientholland
    Patientholland beth80030

    Posted

    I am so sorry to hear this. I don't have any experience of your particular break so difficult to comment. Have the doctors advised you to ice as well as elevate whilst you are non weight bearing
  • miss02428
    miss02428 beth80030

    Posted

    Its not easy but stay off your foot as much as possible!! Maybe you can rent a scooter seriously if you have surgery it will be so much worst so try hard to take it easy and maybe take some bone healing supplements to speed the process
    • beth80030
      beth80030 miss02428

      Posted

      Thats my biggest problem right now. I cant stay off of it. My son has appointments tuesday and thursday and mondY that require us to take a cpl busses and then walk through train station which is huge and all over the place just to get there..its an all day thing when we go and there are no wheelchairs or scooters to rent here u til late next week or the week after. I have no family here or any help at all and he hospiral says well you have crutches you can do it..everyone says i can just do it but there is no way i can and they do not understand that the more i do might make me have to get surgery. I feel like im weak or somethi g but its really hard and his appointments cannot be missed or changed. Today i had to go to just to the store..on crutches for 15 mins.,then sat outside for maybe an hour and then on crutches maybe 15 mins more and im suffering for it. In a lot of pain and feel like i ran a marathon..
    • miss02428
      miss02428 beth80030

      Posted

      Yeah I hear you crutches suck and are so hard on your upper body! I saw this one contraption at the hospital last week with someone after surgery and it's a broken leg wheeled cart you put your knee on! Maybe you can find one of those to borrow or rent or even buy and sell after because it worth your recovery!! When your on the crutches just plan for lots of time to sit down invetween and rest because you shouldn't be putting weight at all on your foot!
    • Patientholland
      Patientholland beth80030

      Posted

      Wheel Freedom will HIRE Knee Scooters for £15 per week and have next day delivery. Here is the information from their website.

      Knee Scooters

      Knee Scooters and Leg Trolleys are designed to aid in rehabilitation of those with foot and ankle injuries. The knee and upper shin of the injured leg is rested on the padded cradle, and the user can walk around ensuring that they still get sufficient exercise. Our Leg Trolley is designed to be extra-manoeuvrable for indoor use, while the Knee Scooter can be used both inside and outside. Both products are suitable for injuries such as broken feet, sprained ankles, ruptured achilles tendons and fractured heels.

    • Patientholland
      Patientholland miss02428

      Posted

      Wheel Freedom in the UK will HIRE Knee Scooters for £15 per week and have next day delivery. Here is the information from their website.

      Knee Scooters and Leg Trolleys are designed to aid in rehabilitation of those with foot and ankle injuries. The knee and upper shin of the injured leg is rested on the padded cradle, and the user can walk around ensuring that they still get sufficient exercise. Our Leg Trolley is designed to be extra-manoeuvrable for indoor use, while the Knee Scooter can be used both inside and outside. Both products are suitable for injuries such as broken feet, sprained ankles, ruptured achilles tendons an

  • patricia40076
    patricia40076 beth80030

    Posted

    Oh sorry about your injury, I had the same fracture pretty bad, and from non displaced became displaced just to bear weight so stay off your foot as much as possible. I have 2 kids and know sometimes becames very hectic life specially if you don't have help around but I managed to get around in crutches, look at them as a upper body workout, I still put the bone stimulator 20 min a day and it's been already 5 months, still I can't run as I used to I used to run 3 miles a day and feels pain now when I walk more than 15 min. So if you want to heal please don't bear any weight and elevated as much as possible, take good supplements, good luck!
    • Patientholland
      Patientholland patricia40076

      Posted

      Also. Could you tell me how your bone became displaced as, although my bone is healed on the X-ray, I and feel that both the Fibula and tibia move and feel like they are displacing somewhat
    • patricia40076
      patricia40076 Patientholland

      Posted

      I don't know about the fibula injury but mine was 5th metatarsal and after more than 12 weeks the doctor prescribed the bone stimulator and this help me a lot in the healing process.
    • patricia40076
      patricia40076 Patientholland

      Posted

      It's a small machine that gives ultrasound waves to speed up bone healing by increasing the cellular uptake of calcium in bone cells and speed up the rate at which new bone cells solidify. I paid $450 copayment with my insurance.
    • beth80030
      beth80030 patricia40076

      Posted

      Hello. Thank you so much for your reply. I have been over 4 weeks now since the brake. I have an xray

      On friday and i am super nervous. I can tell my foot is healing..there is a big difference and since my doc told me i can weight besr slightly on my heel if need be, i have been doing that. I have tried to do little but its hard with 2 kids and just life...The swelli g and bruising is gone but thebump on my foot is weird..its hard like the bone and comes down long on top of my foot around where it broke. You said yours ended up becoming displaced? Could you tell it was? I guess im feeling like mine may be as i did weight bear a little and the way my foot looks is so odd. How long was your surgery? And was it just a day thing or were you admitted into hhospital? I wish i saw your post a few weeks ago..I think im in trouble here..I hope you are doing well..are you able to run yet??

  • miss02428
    miss02428 beth80030

    Posted

    Yeah the bone stimulator worked magic for me I had two surgeries and it's was still not looking good and I got a don joy bone machine through insurance and 28 days later I got an X-ray and it was finally starting to heal. Now my bone is harder then ever!!!
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