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Jones fracture of 5th metatarsal.

Posted , 3 users are following.

DW2839
DW2839

On the 25th June I fractured my 5th metatarsal. It transpired that I had a stress fracture that gradually got worse and eventually popped when my ankle rolled. I immediately attended at the following week at the fracture clinic. 

On attending the fracture clinic, I found the ortho unhelpful & more concerned in issuing me a daily injection to prevent DVT. No explanation about what type of break, but instructed to not weight bare but use the removable boot. 

Over the proceeding 4 weeks leading upto the next clinic appointment, I religiously stuck to doctors orders only placing weight on my heel to balance. However a week before the next appointment I got fed up & gingerly walked around the house, but stuck with the boot & crutches when out and about. 

31st June was my last appointment at the fracture clinic. I was re xrayed where I was informed by a different doc that I had a Jones' fracture in a location between the two blood supplies and as a result it had not made much progress with healing despite being able to walk pain free for the injury, however aches & pains for muscle loss etc. 

the doc instructed me to wean myself off the boot & crutches over the next couple of weeks & return in 6 weeks time. On the plus side I was informed that I could drive, exercise (love cycling) and walk, but told not to run or spend too long on my feet. 

i don't know whether this is a test to see if it improves through wolfs law(?) or a test to see if surgery is necessary. 

Im finding the whole situation to be frustrating, I'm really active & want to be back to normal especially with work, however due to my injury I will remain on amended duties till I'm discharged. 

Is is there light at the end of the tunnel? Or is it going to be a nightmare

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • elizabeth56745
    elizabeth56745 DW2839

    Posted

    Hi DW, I'm sorry you broke your foot. I joke with my doctor that my guess is as good as his. I'm convinced after my experience that my experience with what I was feeling with the progress of healing is just as valuable, if not more, than the few minutes every 4 weeks I spent with my doctor. I followed his orders well, especially during the 1st five weeks. But when I felt my foot healing (pain gone, little to no swelling, longer endurance) I ventured out more than doctors orders but kept close eye on how my foot was feeling. The doctor visits for me were really about getting the objective data from xrays. Even at my last visit when my xray said the bone is healed, my doctor still warned me that it is a very small bone and to exercise caution as I begin to use my foot. He did not know (because I was too chicken to tell him) that I had already started to cautiously use it and the bone still healed. I definitely used my doctors wisdom but also listened to my foot. Together, I am now healed and getting back on track. There is light. But unfortunately it might be in hindsight. Good luck!
    • DW2839
      DW2839 elizabeth56745

      Posted

      Thanks for you're reply. I'm pretty 110% certain that I'm not a good patient :-) typical bloke I suppose.

      Just out of curiosity how long has it been for you?

    • elizabeth56745
      elizabeth56745 DW2839

      Posted

      For me it was a total of 15 weeks. I had surgery after the 3rd week because I overused my foot and it worsened. I really overused it because I'm active. But after surgery I was NWB for five weeks. And from there it healed well and completely. I didn't overuse it after surgery but I did use it gradually on my own schedule after the NWB stage. At 6 weeks post surgery I was walking and driving normal with an air boot. At 9 weeks, I graduated myself to a pair of Keens. At 12 post surgery I'm healed and back to power walking. Whether we like it or not, bones heal on their own schedule. Compared to many stories here, I feel lucky with my 12 weeks post surgery.
    • juls217
      juls217 elizabeth56745

      Posted

      Hi, im thinking about trying to put little weight on mine as well, was told not to but i fractured mine first week of june and still nothing, im kinda wishing i got sugary done in first place, but since he talked like it was lined up good, i was hoping for it to heal good on its own. I really dont want to go sugary route, but i have appointment next week and i have a feeling if nothing still had happen, he will want me to schedule for sugarysad but im so ready for it to heal and get this done and over with, its been so stressful when your a mom of 3 and your use to doing everything to not hardly being able to do anything. My kids help me out more around house now than they did before and they have to do laundry, since i cant get up and down the stairs, no hand rails sad so im to the point where im just going to try and put little weight on it at a time. Swelling has went down a lot but still looks bruised. I put a little weight on it last night holding on to my chair and it hurt a little by ankle area. Wish everyone luck and i hope some luck my self before next week, that it has made some progress and i can get off crutches and out of walking boot. 😳
    • elizabeth56745
      elizabeth56745 juls217

      Posted

      Hi Juls, I feel your frustration and being trapped on one level of the house. It has been 8 weeks since your fracture and you are still NWB? I don't know when your last xray was, but once I had a couple of xrays after surgery, my doc wanted to wait 4 weeks between xrays because of how the bone heals. He said there is soft tissue first that the xray doesn't pick up but it is still healing. I started weight-bearing when there was no swelling or pain. But weight-bearing did make it ache. I had surgery because of a malunion. He needed to line my bone back up. If yours was already lined up, then you just might be in that waiting game of healing that just does not happen fast enough. I had to go through it too. Sending you good karma for an xray that shows bone healing next week!
    • juls217
      juls217 elizabeth56745

      Posted

      Thanks Elizabeth, and yes still Nwb. But since last week i been putting very little wb on it and im thinking its getting better, i mean swelling been down and it seems like its feeling better, but i have had pain in my toes a little here and there this past week, hope its due to maybe healing lol so yes every time i go to foot Doctors he does an xray, and i go back wed. To get another done and see how its doing, so i am hoping for good news once again smile
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