There are several medium and small bones that make up the three sections of the foot. The forefoot includes the slender bones that make up the 5 toes (phalanges) and the anterior portion of the arch of the foot (metatarsals).
The mid-foot is made up of more compact bones (navicular, cuboids, and cuneiforms) that make up the top of the arch of the foot. The hind-foot is made up of two bones, the talus that connects the foot to the lower leg and the calcaneus (the heel).
Foot injuries are common and can arise from a multitude of different mechanisms. Each of the bones of the foot are subject to fracture from externally applied forces. Fractures to the talus and calcaneus (hind foot) are typically caused by crushing forces, such as landing from a great height.
Fractures to the forefoot can be caused by crush, flexing, and twisting forces. In addition to trauma directly to the bone, there are ligaments and tendons attached to the bones of the foot. If enough force is applied to these ligaments and tendons, they can separate and take a small piece of bone with it.
In addition to fractures from a single traumatic blow, some fractures can result from repetitive impacts to a bone. This is called a stress fracture and commonly occurs in the metatarsals of the foot.
Common Symptoms
It can often be difficult to distinguish fractures from other types of injuries of the foot, such as sprains of the ligaments or bruises of the soft tissue. If a bone is fractured, there is typically pain localized to the fracture. There will also likely be soft tissue swelling around the affected area.
Treatment Options
To determine if there is a fracture radiology studies such as x-ray and CT may be necessary. Careful physical exam performed by an experienced surgeon can also help to elucidate whether or not a bone is fractured. Depending on the fracture type and location, there are multiple types of repair. These range from simple alignment and casting to surgical repair with hardware placement. Dr. Mark Reed of OSS is well versed in all of these repair techniques.
