Fracture of the foot - the injury is quite common and amounts to 20% of all bone fractures. Do not take this lightly, the consequences can be very negative, up to the inability to move around without assistance.
Causes
If the foot is sharply tucked in any direction, jumping from a height with emphasis on the legs, or when struck with a heavy object, this injury may occur.
Fractures of the metatarsal bones occur as a result of an unexpected strong impact on the leg, excessive load and overstrain.
Signs of a fracture of the foot
Swelling of the injured area and pain are the very first symptoms that indicate that you may have a fractured foot. The photo below shows what a sore leg looks like.
Painful sensations can be so strong that a person cannot move. Bruising may also occur in the area of injury. Fracture with displacement is characterized by a change in the shape of the foot.
Sometimes a person does not realize that he has a fractured foot. Signs may not be pronounced, pain occurs only when the load on the injured leg. Therefore, to clarify the diagnosis, you need to contact a traumatologist.
First aid
In case of suspected fracture of the foot bones, the injured limb must be fixed. You can use an improvised tire made of planks, ski poles or rods, which are fastened with bandages to the leg. If there was nothing at hand, you can bandage the damaged limb to a healthy one using a scarf, shirt or towel.
With an open fracture, you should not try to straighten the bone yourself, first of all, you need to stop the bleeding. To do this, you need to treat the skin around the wound with iodine or hydrogen peroxide. Then carefully apply a sterile dressing. After the first aid was provided, the victim must be taken to a medical facility.
Diagnostics
First of all, a traumatologist should carefully examine a sore leg. Having discovered the symptoms of a fractured foot in the victim, the doctor takes an x-ray to determine the type and location of the damage. Very rarely there is a need for computed or magnetic resonance imaging.
After the fracture has been diagnosed, treatment is prescribed that depends on its type and on which bone is broken.
Talus fracture
This bone has some features. Not one muscle is attached to the talus. In addition, it transfers body weight to the entire foot.
Fracture of the talus is possible as a result of indirect injury, is rare and is considered severe damage to the bones of the foot. It is accompanied by other injuries, such as a fracture, dislocation of the ankle or other bones of the foot.
Symptomatology
When injured, sharp pain is felt, swelling of the foot and ankle occurs, hemorrhages are noticeable on the skin. If the fragments are displaced, you can notice that the foot is deformed.
To confirm the fracture, to determine its location, type and degree of bone displacement, perform an x-ray examination in two projections.
How to treat
If a fracture of the foot is diagnosed with a displacement, bone fragments are immediately compared. The fact is that the later you see a doctor, the more difficult it will be to restore their correct position, sometimes it is completely impossible.
Gypsum is applied for a month and a half. Starting from the third week, you need to release the injured limb from the tire and make active movements of the ankle joint.
Somewhat later, physical therapy and massage are prescribed, physiotherapy. It takes two to three months to recover disability.
Scaphoid fracture
It arises as a result of direct exposure. Often a fracture of this foot bone is accompanied by injuries of other bones.
Symptoms
A person cannot lean on a limb due to severe pain. Swelling and hemorrhage appear. When palpating, trying to turn the foot in and out, a person feels a sharp pain. To confirm a fracture of the scaphoid of the foot, it is recommended to conduct an x-ray examination.
Treatment
If no bias is detected, the doctor applies a circular plaster cast to the damaged area. In case of scaphoid fractures with displacement, bone fragments are compared; in some cases, an open reduction may be necessary. The foot is fixed with gypsum for a period of four to five weeks.
It is difficult enough to treat such a fracture of the foot in combination with a dislocation. If the dislocated fragment is not put back into place, traumatic flatfoot may develop. The displaced fragments are adjusted using a special drawing apparatus. Sometimes you have to resort to an open reduction and fixing the adjusted fragment with a silk suture. After this procedure, the immobilization of the damaged limb should last up to 10-12 weeks. In the future, wearing orthopedic shoes is necessary.
Fractures of the cuboid and sphenoid bones
Most often, the injury occurs when the severity falls on the rear of the foot and is accompanied by swelling of the soft tissues in the area of damage, tenderness on palpation and turns of the foot in any direction. A radiographic examination is required to confirm the fracture. After this, the leg is fixed with a plaster cast for a month and a half. It is recommended to wear an arch support throughout the year after such a fracture.
Metatarsal Fracture
This injury is most often found among all fractures of the foot. There are two types of metatarsal fractures: traumatic and stressful.
Traumatic fracture
It is the result of external mechanical stress. It can be a drop in heaviness on the foot, crushing of the foot, a strong blow.
Signs
A traumatic fracture of the foot manifests itself with a characteristic crunch and pain at the time of injury, you can notice a shortening of the finger or its deviation to the side. The pain at first is very strong, but wanes over time, although it does not completely disappear. Edema or bruising occurs at the site of the injury.
Stress fracture (fatigue)
Such injuries, which include a fracture of the 5 metatarsal bone of the foot, are usually found in athletes and those who lead an active lifestyle. They appear as a result of excessive and prolonged load on the foot. In fact, such a fracture is a crack on the bone, and it is very difficult to notice it.
If a person suffers from various concomitant diseases, such as osteoporosis or deformity of the feet, his condition can worsen significantly. Stress fracture of the metatarsal bone is also found in those who constantly walk in uncomfortable and tight shoes.
Symptoms
The first symptom that should alert is pain in the foot after a long intense load and disappears in a calm state. Over time, it intensifies to such an extent that any actions become impossible. Soreness persists and at rest. Edema appears at the site of the injury.
The danger is that most people with such an injury are in no hurry to see a doctor, often a person does not even suspect that he has a fractured foot. Signs in this case are not so pronounced as with other fractures, the patient walks and steps on his foot. Therefore, to avoid complications, you need to contact a doctor immediately.
Fracture of the fifth metatarsal bone of the foot is an injury that occurs more often than all others.
When turning the foot inward, a separation fracture may occur. In this case, detachment and displacement of the metatarsal bone occurs. The splicing is very long, so you need to contact a traumatologist as soon as possible. With untimely treatment, the bone may not grow together correctly, in which case surgical intervention will be required.
The base of the 5 metatarsal bone is an area with poor blood supply. It is in this place that the Jones fracture occurs. It occurs against the background of stressful loads and grows together very slowly.
Metatarsal Fracture Diagnosis
The doctor carefully examines the victim, examining not only the foot, but also the ankle joint, determines the presence of edema, hemorrhage and characteristic deformation. Then make an x-ray in direct, lateral and semi-lateral projections. After determining the fracture and its type, the necessary treatment is prescribed.
Treatment
If a minor fracture of the foot is detected, the treatment consists in simply applying a splint. In this case, the injured limb must be stationary for several weeks so that the damaged bone tissue heals completely.
When the bone is severely destroyed, internal fixation is necessary. This is done using special screws.
The severity and nature of the damage determines the further treatment. Any fracture of the metatarsal bone without displacement requires immobilization. The applied gypsum will reliably protect the bone from possible displacement. Due to the fact that the foot is completely motionless, bone fusion will occur faster.
If displacement of fragments occurred during the injury, surgical management is indispensable. During the operation, the doctor opens the fracture area and compares the resulting fragments, after which it fixes them with special knitting needles or screws. Then gypsum is applied for up to six weeks. The patient is prohibited from stepping on an injured leg. After six weeks, you can start walking. The spokes are removed after three months, the screws - after four. Patients are advised to wear orthopedic shoes or insoles.
With a Jones fracture, a plaster cast is applied from the toes to the middle third of the leg for up to two months. Do not step on a damaged leg.
To reduce the load on the injured limb while walking, crutches should be used. The patient must be observed by a doctor who correctly selects the rehabilitation course to restore impaired functionality in the injured foot.
The recovery period for a fracture of the metatarsal bone is quite long and includes physical therapy, massage, the use of arch support, physiotherapy.
If such an injury is not treated or treated incorrectly, then complications such as arthrosis, deformity, constant pain and fracture failure may occur.
Fractures of the phalanx of the toes
This type of fracture of the foot bones is possible as a result of direct impact on the fingers (for example, with a strong blow or a drop in gravity). If the main phalanges grow together incorrectly, the foot function may be impaired. In addition, pain when walking and limiting the mobility of an injured limb are possible. As a result of a fracture of the middle and nail phalanges, such consequences do not occur.
Symptoms
Cyanosis of a broken finger, swelling, pronounced soreness during movement are noted. With such injuries, a subungual hematoma is sometimes formed. To confirm the diagnosis, it is recommended that an x-ray study in two projections.
Treatment
In case of fractures without displacement, the posterior gypsum splint is applied to the sore finger. In the presence of bias, there is a need for a closed reposition. Fragments of bones are fixed with knitting needles.
Fractures of the nail phalanges do not need special treatment, usually fixing with an adhesive bandage is enough. The immobilization period is from 4 to 6 weeks.
If you properly treat a fracture of the foot and strictly follow all the recommendations of a doctor, it is possible not only to shorten the recovery period, but also to prevent possible complications.