How long does a foot fracture take to heal

You were treated for a broken bone in your foot. The bone that was broken is called the metatarsal.

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Can a fractured foot heal in 4 weeks?
Can you walk on fractured feet?
How long after a foot fracture can I walk?
Can a foot fracture heal on its own?

At home, be sure to follow your doctor's instructions on how to take care of your broken foot so that it heals well.

The metatarsal bones are the long bones in your foot that connect your ankle to your toes. They also help you balance when you stand and walk.

A sudden blow or severe twist of your foot, or overuse, can cause a break, or acute (sudden) fracture, in one of the bones.

There are five metatarsal bones in your foot. The fifth metatarsal is the outer bone that connects to your little toe. It is the most commonly fractured metatarsal bone.

A common type of break in the part of your fifth metatarsal bone closest to the ankle is called a Jones fracture. This area of the bone has low blood flow. This makes healing difficult.

An avulsion fracture occurs when a tendon pulls a piece of bone away from the rest of the bone. An avulsion fracture on the fifth metatarsal bone is called a "dancer's fracture."

If your bones are still aligned (meaning that the broken ends meet), you will probably wear a cast or splint for 6 to 8 weeks.

You may be told not to put weight on your foot. You will need crutches or other support to help you get around.
You may also be fitted for a special shoe or boot that may allow you to bear weight.

If the bones are not aligned, you may need surgery. A bone doctor (orthopedic surgeon) will do your surgery. After surgery you will wear a cast for 6 to 8 weeks.

You can decrease swelling by:

Resting and not putting weight on your foot
Elevating your foot

Make an ice pack by putting ice in a plastic bag and wrapping a cloth around it.

Do not put the bag of ice directly on your skin. Cold from the ice could damage your skin.
Ice your foot for about 20 minutes every hour while awake for the first 48 hours, then 2 to 3 times a day.

For pain, you can use ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, and others) or naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, and others).

Do not use these medicines for the first 24 hours after your injury. They may increase the risk of bleeding.
Talk with your health care provider before using these medicines if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, liver disease, or have had stomach ulcers or internal bleeding in the past.
Do not take more than the amount recommended on the bottle or more than your provider tells you to take.

As you recover, your provider will instruct you to begin moving your foot. This may be as soon as 3 weeks or as long 8 weeks after your injury.

When you restart an activity after a fracture, build up slowly. If your foot begins to hurt, stop and rest.

Some exercises you can do to help increase your foot mobility and strength are:

Write the alphabet in the air or on the floor with your toes.
Point your toes up and down, then spread them out and curl them up. Hold each position for a few seconds.
Put a cloth on the floor. Use your toes to slowly pull the cloth toward you while you keep your heel on the floor.

As you recover, your provider will check how well your foot is healing. You will be told when you can:

Stop using crutches
Have your cast removed
Start doing your normal activities again

Call your provider if you have any of these symptoms:

Swelling, pain, numbness, or tingling in your leg, ankle, or foot that becomes worse
Your leg or foot turns purple
Fever

Broken foot - metatarsal; Jones fracture; Dancer's fracture; Foot fracture

Bettin CC. Fractures and dislocations of the foot. In: Azar FM, Beaty JH, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 89.

Kwon JY, Gitajn IL, Richter M,. Foot injuries. In: Browner BD, Jupiter JB, Krettek C, Anderson PA, eds. Skeletal Trauma: Basic Science, Management, and Reconstruction. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 67.

Updated by: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

A fracture is another term for a broken bone. When we talk about fractures, we use certain terms to describe where the bone is broken, in what sort of pattern, open or closed and if it is displaced (shifted apart) or angulated. Fractures can be nondisplaced (a crack in the bone), spiral, segmented, or comminuted (multiple pieces). The more energy it takes to break a bone, the more damage to the bone and soft tissues, and therefore the blood supply to the bone.

Fractures are treated in different ways and while some can be treated in a cast, brace, or splint, others require surgery to repair the fracture with plates, screws, nails or pins.

Everyone who experiences a fracture will heal differently. Factors that influence fracture healing in addition to the type and care of the fracture depend upon the person who sustains the fracture. These include age, nutrition, overall health and whether or not you smoke.

How are Fractures Treated?

The goal of fracture treatment is to restore the normal alignment of the bone and anatomy so that the fracture heals in the correct position. This sometimes requires that the fracture be manipulated or “set”. This usually requires some sort of sedation and / or anesthesia and can be done in the office, emergency room or sometimes in the operating room.

Non-surgical methods of treating fractures include:

Cast: Casts are a tried and true method of fracture treatment and may be made of plaster or fiberglass. The purpose of the cast is to maintain fracture position and immobilize the bone to allow the fracture to heal in the correct position. Common fractures treated in a cast include hand, wrist, forearm, lower leg, ankle and foot.

Functional Braces: These braces are usually made of molded plastic that function like a cast for specific relatively stable or healing fractures. These are removable for hygiene.

External Fixation composed of threaded pins drilled into bone above and below a fracture with an external frame. “Ex-fix” is often used for temporary stabilization of open fractures or fractures with soft tissue damage until definitive fracture repair.

Surgical Treatment of Fractures

Open Reduction Internal Fixation (ORIF) involves surgical exposure of the broken bone to directly repair the fracture with plates and screws. This is often used in forearm and upper arm (humerus) fractures as well as for tibia and ankle fractures. The fractured bone is actually screwed back together which allows direct bone to bone healing.

Intramedullary Nailing (or Rodding): A nail is placed in the marrow cavity of the bone and usually fixed with screws above and below the fracture. This is an “indirect” treatment of the fracture where the fracture site is not usually opened surgically. The nail acts as an internal splint to allow fracture alignment and healing. This treatment is commonly used for long bone fractures in the femur and tibia.

How Long Does a Fracture Take to Heal?

Most fractures heal in 6-8 weeks, but this varies tremendously from bone to bone and in each person based on many of the factors discussed above. Hand and wrist fractures often heal in 4-6 weeks whereas a tibia fracture may take 20 weeks or more.

Healing time for fractures are divided into three phases:
1. Inflammatory Phase: starts at the time of injury and lasts 1-2 weeks. Bleeding around the fracture organizes into a fracture hematoma or clot on the bone ends. Damage to the tissues results in cell death which is cleaned up by an inflammatory response. The blood clot organizes into a protein mesh where the bone begins to “knit”.
2. Repair Phase: lasting the next 2-3 weeks where actual tissue repair occurs and new living cells of bone, cartilage and fibrous tissue occur at the fracture site. This leads to the formation of a rubbery tissue called “fracture callus”. Calcium is deposited into the callus and can be seen on x-ray at 2-3 weeks after injury.
3. Remodeling: occurs as the fracture callus is replaced with strong organized bone. Remodeling goes on for months after the fracture is no longer painful and appears to be healed on x-rays.

How can you help or speed fracture healing?
1. Follow your doctor’s orders in terms of activity.
For example, some fractures may require early activity and weight bearing to speed fracture healing. Others need to be immobilized and avoid weight bearing. Muscle use in the injured limb helps blood flow, reduces swelling and speeds exchange of nutrients to damaged tissues. It also helps to reduce stiffness and muscle atrophy (shrinkage).
2. Nutrition: Maintain a well-balanced diet. Protein, Vitamins C, D, and K are all essential for fracture healing. Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Zinc are all elements needed for bone formation and to accelerate the healing process.
3. Smoking: If you smoke, STOP. This is probably the greatest single thing you can do to help fracture healing. Smoking inhibits fine capillary blood flow that is essential to healing.
4. Avoid high dose Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen or naproxen. These medications can inhibit the early phase of fracture healing.

Making an Appointment

Are you ready to return to a life of restored mobility and function? Schedule an appointment today with Dr. Bonatus or any of our orthopedic physicians by vesting us online at https://northazortho.com/request-a-visit/ or calling at 928.226.2900.

Can a fractured foot heal in 4 weeks?

Most fractures heal without any problems in about six weeks. However, it may take three to six months for your symptoms to settle completely – these can include pain or discomfort, stiffness, decreased strength, and swelling. The bones may take longer to heal if you suffer from diabetes or if you smoke.

Can you walk on fractured feet?

Typically you can walk on a broken foot, however, doing so will aggravate the situation. It's best to give your foot a rest, and keep weight off it, so that bones can take the time they need to heal. It is always best to get an injury like a fracture checked out to ensure proper treatment.

How long after a foot fracture can I walk?

As you recover, your provider will instruct you to begin moving your foot. This may be as soon as 3 weeks or as long 8 weeks after your injury. When you restart an activity after a fracture, build up slowly. If your foot begins to hurt, stop and rest.

Can a foot fracture heal on its own?

Although minor fractures can heal on their own, more serious fractures will require surgery. If you've experienced a fracture in your foot and/or ankle, you'll need to be treated by an orthopaedic surgeon who has knowledge of the intricate workings of the bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles of the foot and ankle.