Duration of the treatment
In general, the healing time for broken feet depends on various factors. In younger patients who are still in the growth phase, fractures usually heal much faster and with fewer complications than in older patients. The bone tissue is temporarily replaced by a tissue called “callus tissue”.
This stabilizes the fractured area and grows much faster in younger patients than in older ones. The soft tissue destroyed by the fracture and the degree to which the bones are displaced from their original position also play a role. The healing process can be shortened by surgery, since the corresponding bone parts are held together in the desired position by screws or wires.
Prognosis for a fracture of the foot
The entire healing process after the broken foot is usually completed after 6-12 months. In most cases, however, a symptom-free state can be reached after 6 weeks, in which the patient can put on weight normally. Irrespective of whether the fracture was treated by means of an operation or alone with a plaster cast, a visit to the doctor after 6 weeks is advisable. During this time, it can be checked whether the broken bone parts have been joined together correctly and are in the right position to each other again and to what extent the injury has already healed. In addition, wires or screws that cause pain can be removed.
Causes of a foot fracture
If the foot is broken, there are several possible causes. The most common cause is probably sport. Whether while jogging or due to falls caused by sudden wrong movements, the metatarsal fracture is one of the most common fractures among athletes.
Even strong, direct violence, for example from an accident, can cause a metatarsal fracture. Unexpected unevenness in the ground can cause the foot to bend outwards (supination trauma) and thus, in addition to the more frequent injuries to the ligamentous apparatus, damage to the metatarsal bones. Another cause of a metatarsal fracture can be a fatigue-stress fracture.
In this case, the metatarsal bones are overstressed due to long-term incorrect loading or unaccustomed loads. Osteoporosis is a risk factor for such a fracture. In contrast to fractures caused by trauma, patients usually do not remember a direct accident, but feel pain slowly after prolonged stress or, at a later stage, even when standing.
A fracture of the Os Metatarsal V is also a special type of fracture. Here the foot is broken at the metatarsal of the little toe. The tendon of a long lower leg muscle is attached to this bone. As a result of over-tensioning the muscle by bending it outwards, the foot may be broken at this point due to the tendon tearing off.
