Foot fracture – 3 weeks in a boot · Virtual Fracture Clinic

This information will guide you through the next 6 weeks of your rehabilitation. Use the video or information below to gain a better understanding of your injury and what can be done to maximise your recovery.

Picture of bones in the foot

If you are worried that you are unable to follow this rehabilitation plan, or have any questions, then please phone the Fracture Care Team for advice.

Or, if you are experiencing pain or symptoms, other than at the site of the original injury or surrounding area, please get in touch using the telephone or e-mail details at the top of this letter.

What to expect

Advice for a new injury

Cold packs: A cold pack (ice pack or frozen peas wrapped in a damp towel) can provide short term pain relief. Apply this to the sore area for up to 15 minutes, every few hours ensuring the ice is never in direct contact with the skin.                                                    

Rest and Elevation: Try to rest the foot for the first 24-72 hours to allow the early stage of healing to begin. Raise your ankle above the level of your hips to reduce swelling. You can use pillows or a stool to keep your foot up

Early movement and exercise: Early movement of the ankle and foot is important to promote circulation and reduce the risk of developing a DVT (blood clot). Follow the exercises below without causing too much pain. This will ensure your ankle and foot do not become too stiff.  These exercises will help the healing process.

Early weight bearing (putting weight through your injured foot) helps increase the speed of healing. Try to walk as normally as possible as this will help with your recovery.

Smoking advice

Medical evidence suggests that smoking prolongs fracture healing time. In extreme cases it can stop healing altogether. It is important that you consider this information with relation to your recent injury. Stopping smoking during the healing phase of your fracture will help ensure optimal recovery from this injury.

For advice on smoking cessation and local support available, please refer to the following website: http://smokefree. nhs.uk or discuss this with your GP.

Boot advice

Diabetic patients: If you are diabetic please contact us to discuss your boot. This is particularly important if you have problems with your skin. We can provide you with a specialist diabetic boot if required.

Footwear for your uninjured foot: We would recommend choosing a supportive shoe or trainer with a firm sole for your uninjured foot. You will notice that the boot you have been given has a thicker sole, by matching this height on the uninjured side you will reduce any stress on your other joints.

Exercises

Initial exercises to do 3-4 times a day

Ankle and foot range of movement exercises. Repeat these 10 times each.

1. Point your foot up and down within a comfortable range of movement.
2. With your heels together, move your toes apart, as shown in the picture.
3. Make circles with your foot in one direction and then change direction.

How Long Does It Take For a Foot Fracture to Heal

If you’ve stumbled down some stairs, been in a motor vehicle accident or even overtrained for a marathon, you could have sustained a foot fracture. Foot fractures vary in type, severity, and recovery time. Here’s more on this common podiatric problem and how long it takes for a foot fracture to fully heal.

Types of Foot Fractures

Fracturing or breaking, one or more bones in your foot can vary in severity. Stubbing and breaking a little toe, while painful, may require nothing more than bandaging to the adjoining toe.

However, more serious fractures can happen if you drop something heavy on your foot if you’re in a car accident (particularly a front-end crash), or if you train too strenuously for a sporting event. Osteoporosis and other degenerative bone conditions can also lead to fractures.

In general, the most common foot fractures that podiatrists see are:

• Tarsal fractures, involving the seven bones at the posterior end of the foot and make up the ankle
• Metatarsal fractures, located on the long bones in the midfoot
• Lisfranc fractures, involving the juncture between the metatarsal bones and the tarsals
• Calcanealfractures, involving the heel bone (calcaneus)

Symptoms of Foot Fractures

Get medical attention immediately if you suspect you have a foot fracture. Concerning symptoms include:

• Throbbing pain
• Continuous, intense pain
• Tenderness when touching the injured area
• Pain that eases at rest and worsens with activity
• Inability to bear weight on the foot
• Swelling and bruising
• Noticeable foot deformity

If you do not have most of these symptoms and your pain is not as intense as described above, you may only have a sprain rather than a fracture. Sprains can often be healed with at-home remedies, such as the RICE method, a tried and true first aid protocol:

Rest the foot (get off of it)

Ice the Injured area

Compress with an ACE bandage

Elevate the foot above the level of your heart

However, it is always best to see a foot and ankle surgeon when you have a foot or ankle injury. Often, the only way to distinguish a sprain from a fracture is to get an X-ray and an evaluation from a foot and ankle surgeon. Foot fractures that heal without medical intervention can produce a deformity and you can lose mobility in your foot.

Treatment Options for Foot Fractures

Your foot and ankle doctor will evaluate your foot and recommend treatment options if it is indeed fractured. Your plan will be customized according to your injury, age, mobility, and overall health.

In general, most foot fractures require immobilizing and keeping your body weight off the broken foot using a walking boot, cast, crutches, or a combination of these. Physical therapy is an important part of the healing process because it helps regain muscular strength and balance. Plus, if your bones are brittle due to osteoporosis or other bone density problem, your podiatric team may advise taking calcium and vitamin D supplements to improve bone health.

For more problematic fractures, your foot doctor may use local anesthesia to numb your foot and manually realign displaced bone ends. Many breaks need surgical fixation with pins, wires, screws, or plates which may or may not remain in place permanently.

Healing Time for Foot Fractures

Foot fractures do take time and patience to heal completely. In general, you may expect full healing within three to six months. Your podiatrist will X-ray your foot to confirm this.

However, healing times do vary with age and overall health. For instance, a child’s bone will heal far more rapidly than his grandmother’s.

Additionally, there are several health and lifestyle factors that can slow down healing. These include:

• Smoking
• Poor nutritional status
• Advanced age
• Use of medications, such as immunosuppressants or corticosteroids
• Vascular health problems or diabetes
• Walking on the fracture before it is fully healed

Your podiatrist can give you an approximate timeline for treatment and complete healing.

Foot & Ankle Institute of New England

Our board-certified foot and ankle surgeons are Dr. Candace Criscione, Dr. Robert Gallucci, and Dr. Stephen Rogers. All three of them have extensive skill and experience in treating lower extremity injuries, including foot fractures.

If you think you’ve broken your foot, please contact one of our three locations for an accurate assessment and care plan. We have offices in Fall River, MA, as well as Warwick and Middletown, RI, for your convenience. Call the location nearest you or request your visit here. We look forward to caring for your foot and ankle needs!

treatment and recovery from injury

A calcaneus fracture is not as common as a fracture of the tibia or radius in a typical location. Medical statistics state that this type of bone damage accounts for 3% of all fractures.
Our ancestors moved mainly on four limbs. However, in the process of evolution, a person began to walk on two legs, which led to a shift in the center of gravity. As a result, the feet began to experience a greater load, because now they have to bear the weight of the whole body. If a person is obese, this pressure becomes even greater. With a load during simple walking or running in a healthy person, they can easily cope. However, problems can arise in the event of sudden jumps or falls from a height. One of the bones that may not be able to withstand such loads is the calcaneus.

Recovery in this case will play a significant role, because a relapse can greatly complicate life and it will take a very long time to return to normal life. Here, physiotherapeutic procedures and special orthopedic shoes will play a great role.

Causes of bone fracture
1. A fracture of the limb bone most often occurs as a result of a fall on the legs from a great height. Moreover, the severity of damage will not always depend only on the height of the fall. For example, the position of the foot upon landing will determine in which direction the fragments will move.
2. The cause of injury, in addition to falling from a height, can be a very powerful blow or strong squeezing.

How to determine a fracture?
Calcaneal fractures are characterized by pain in the area of ​​damage and the inability to load the foot. Attention is drawn to the valgus and varus deformity of the heel, the expansion of the heel region, swelling of the foot, the presence of characteristic bruising in the heel region and on the plantar surface of the foot. The arches of the foot are flattened. Active movements in the ankle joint due to soft tissue edema and tension of the calcaneal tendon are sharply limited, and in the subtalar joint are impossible.
In the case of a fall from a height with a landing on the heel tubercles, combined injuries of the heel bones and spine are possible. Therefore, it is recommended to conduct an X-ray examination even in the absence of complaints in the first days after the injury. Associated fractures account for 9.9 to 12% of all calcaneus fractures.

Most common injuries:
1. no offset;
2. with offset;
3. multifragmented fractures;
4. fracture of the medial or lateral process.

Treatment
Calcaneal fractures without displacement are treated conservatively by a traumatologist. Immobilization is carried out with a plaster splint from the knee to the toes for a period of 3-8 weeks. Regardless of the absence or presence of displacement of the fragments, the patient is strictly forbidden to step on the leg on admission, since early loading can cause secondary displacement of the fragments. Subsequently prescribed exercise therapy, physiotherapy, massage. The patient is advised to wear orthopedic shoes with arch supports for at least 6 months.

In case of a displaced calcaneus fracture, reduction is performed under local anesthesia. Of particular difficulty is the treatment of multicomminuted compression fractures of the body of the calcaneus, accompanied by a large displacement of bone fragments, damage to the articular surfaces of the talus and calcaneus. If closed reposition is ineffective, osteosynthesis is performed using the Ilizarov apparatus. Extraosseous and intraosseous metal structures should be used with caution due to the high risk of complications.
In the late period after calcaneal fractures, post-traumatic flat feet, foot deformities, arthrosis of the Chopard joint and subtalar joint often develop. Perhaps the formation of bone protrusions that violate the supporting function of the limb.

Depending on the type of calcaneus fracture, rehabilitation can take from three months to two years. The beginning of the rehabilitation period can also begin at different times. Usually, the first foot movements are resolved from the moment when they do not cause severe pain.

The problem of treating fractures has always been significant, both for the individual and for society. In all human civilizations, there is an analogue of the profession of “chiropractor” – a person who is professionally engaged in the restoration of broken limbs of people and animals. Thus, in the analysis of 36 Neanderthal skeletons with fractures, only 11 fracture treatment results were found to be unsatisfactory. This shows that even at this level of development, the effectiveness of medical care for fractures exceeded 70%, primitive people knew about fractures and knew how to treat them.

1. Massage. It can be done even before the doctor removes the plaster cast: the masseur develops places near the plaster. The main task of the method is to increase blood circulation. At first, the patient may experience discomfort. This is a normal reaction, but it is better to report it to a specialist.
2. Therapeutic exercise. Particular attention is paid to the method if the fracture was displaced. The first simple exercises can be performed after the bone heals: the patient flexes and unbends the fingers, rotates, flexes and unbends the foot, pulls the toe in and out, walks on toes and heels, rolls the ball with the foot, etc. Severe pain after a heel fracture should not be: if the patient feels discomfort, then the training should be interrupted and the doctor should be informed about his condition.
3. Physiotherapy. They improve blood circulation, lymph circulation, relieve pain, inflammation, normalize metabolism, start regeneration processes and contribute to faster bone and soft tissue recovery. The doctor may prescribe electro- and phonophoresis, laser treatment, UHF, etc.
4. Hydrotherapy. Usually, the doctor prescribes warming baths that restore muscle tone and normalize blood circulation.
5. Proper nutrition. The diet should contain foods high in calcium, silicon and magnesium.
6. Wearing orthoses and orthopedic shoes. Soft, rigid and semi-rigid orthoses reduce swelling and avoid muscle atrophy. And special insoles allow you to properly distribute the load on the foot, so that it gets less tired. They wear orthopedic shoes for at least six months, the exact recommendations are given by the doctor.
The patient is considered healthy if he can stand on the injured leg, walk and move without pain and any restrictions.
Special products for recovery
Modern orthoses, bandages and other orthopedic products for the foot and ankle can make life much easier during the recovery period. Rehabilitation will be more efficient, and complications will be minimized.
In addition, modern special products are characterized by modern design, high functionality, as well as provide maximum comfort and a high recovery effect when using them. We must not forget about the use of high-quality orthopedic shoes during the recovery period.
A person has only one life, so you should take care of your health and do not neglect the recommendations of specialists.

WARNING! All information posted on this site is advisory in nature. In each individual case, consultation with a specialist is necessary.
January 9, 2019

Heel fracture. Effective Treatment and Recovery of Injury

The heel bone has a very important function as it supports the foot, helping to maintain body weight while walking and standing. However, there are times when a heel fracture occurs. This injury can quite spoil life, turning a person’s movement into a slow crawl. In such an incident, professional treatment is required with mandatory subsequent rehabilitation.

Recovery in this case will play a significant role, because a relapse can greatly complicate life and it will take a very long time to return to normal life. Here, physiotherapeutic procedures and special orthopedic shoes will play a great role.

Causes of bone fracture

1. A fracture of a limb bone most often occurs as a result of a fall on the legs from a great height. Moreover, the severity of damage will not always depend only on the height of the fall. For example, the position of the foot upon landing will determine in which direction the fragments will move.

2. Injury other than falling from a height can be caused by a very hard blow or a strong crush.

How to identify a fault?

A broken heel bone will present itself with hemorrhage, pain and swelling. The result of this is an increase in the volume of soft tissues. Attempts to step on the damaged area will cause sharp pain.

If there is a displacement of the bones, then thickening of the foot can be observed – this is a characteristic symptom.

Symptoms and manifestations:

1. discomfort and pain at the site of injury;

2. hemorrhage;

3. pronounced tumor;

4. deformation;

5. bruising;

6. sharp pain;

7. it is impossible to step on the injured limb;

8. limited movement of the leg in the ankle joint.

But the final confirmation of the diagnosis can only be obtained by X-ray results.

Consequences

Most often, a bone fracture is of a closed type. If there is a displacement, then such an injury is classified as a dangerous and complex type, since there is a high risk of injury to the tissues that are located next to the bone.

1. no offset;

2. offset;

3. multicomminuted fractures;

4. fracture of the medial or lateral process.

In some cases, if there is a fall from a great height, there is a possibility of injury not only with bone displacement, but also with damage to the spine.

That is why experts recommend taking x-rays in any case, even if the victim has no complaints.

Treatment of injury

There are two ways to return the victim to normal life:

1. conservative;

2. operational.

However, there is no consensus on the choice of the best way to return the limbs to their previous functions. Since there are quite a few types of fractures of this bone, the surgeon in each case, based on x-ray images and analyzes, makes an individual decision.

Physician’s action:

1. No damaged structures and no displacement. Impose a circular plaster bandage. A metal arch support and a stirrup are put into the bandage. Gradual loading is allowed only from the 4th week. After 7-8 weeks, the plaster is removed. The patient’s ability to work is restored after about 3 months. It is recommended to use an arch support for about 6 months.

2. No damaged structures, but there is displacement. One-stage manual reposition is performed with local anesthesia. After reposition, a circular bandage with a stirrup and arch support is installed for up to 12 weeks. Gradual loading is allowed only from the 8th week. After 4 months, the person’s ability to work is restored. It is recommended to use an arch support for about 6 months.

3. There is an injury to the joints, no displacement. Immobilization is carried out using a circular plaster bandage with careful modeling of the arch. The bandage is removed after 8 weeks. Gradual loading with an arch support is allowed only from 9th week, after 12 weeks – complete. Ability to work is restored after 4 months, however, it is recommended to use an arch support for 1 year.

4. There is trauma to the joints and displacement. Here, a repositioning procedure is required. Permanent skeletal traction is also prescribed. A needle is inserted through the heel, and adhesive traction is applied to its front section. This lasts 6 weeks.

Traction immobilizes for up to 8 weeks with a circular cast. Gradual loading will be allowed after 2 weeks, and the resumption of working capacity only after 5 months.

Rehabilitation

This is the most important stage, because if you do not follow the doctor’s recommendations and do not take care of the injured limb, using special tools and appropriate orthopedic shoes, then serious consequences can occur:

1. Fracture recurrence;

2. Foot deformity;

3. Bony projections;

4. Deforming arthrosis;

5. Appearance of lameness;

6. Post-traumatic flat feet and so on.

These consequences can significantly complicate a person’s life, so you should take care of high-quality orthopedic products. This will allow you to recover faster and without complications.

Specialized Recovery Products

Modern orthoses, braces and other orthopedic products for the foot and ankle can make life much easier during the recovery period. Rehabilitation will be more efficient, and complications will be minimized.