Metatarsal fracture – therapy

The foot consists of a multitude of small bones that must withstand extreme loads in order to be able to carry the entire weight of the body during any movement. The foot can be divided into the rear foot with the thick heel bone, the metatarsus with five relatively long and narrow bones (the metatarsals) and finally the forefoot with the subdivided small toe bones. Due to the anatomical conditions combined with high loads, especially the long, narrow metatarsal bones are exposed to injuries such as fractures. The article “Metatarsal fracture – healing time” might also be of interest to you in this regard.

Therapy

A metatarsal fracture can usually be treated conservatively, i.e. without surgery. This only depends on how far the fractions have been removed or shifted from each other. If an operation is not necessary, the foot is kept still for a few weeks by means of a plaster splint and relieved.

If the fracture parts are too far away from their original location, they must be brought back into their exact position under surgical intervention in order to grow together optimally. Physiotherapy is already started during immobilization. Adjacent joints must be moved from the beginning in order to protect them from stiffening and sticking together.

Lymphatic drainage is performed to support the removal of swelling. A partial weight-bearing gait is performed early on according to the doctor’s instructions. Static exercises are performed for the entire muscle chain of the leg to prevent a reduction in muscle mass.

Once the ends of the bones have grown together again, the load is gradually increased, the gait pattern and rolling of the foot is practiced again, as well as strengthening exercises for the entire surrounding stabilizing musculature:

  • To restore depth sensitivity, gait exercises are performed on various surfaces, wobble cushions and therapy spinning tops. The fine motor skills of the toes are also trained by trying to grip a soft ball or paper with the foot.
  • To loosen even the foot muscles, simply stand on a tennis ball, roll out all parts and pause at tense points until the tension subsides. There are no limits in the choice of therapeutic exercises.

    It is important that you practice daily and only then return to sports, the fracture is completely healed and no pain is felt under stress.

To relieve the foot after a metatarsal fracture, there are special relief shoes that are worn for a few weeks. A fracture requires sufficient rest so that the body has a chance to let the interrupted bone ends grow together again. If the foot is moved and loaded too early, this healing process is interrupted and a permanent instability with consequential damage remains.

If a fracture does not heal, there is a risk of a so-called false joint forming. The bone ends heal, but do not grow together. The false joint has a negative effect on the stability of the foot and thus on the gait pattern and movement sequences.

Rest periods and individually adapted exercises must be carried out according to the physiological wound healing phases in order to avoid healing disorders. Once a wrong joint has been created, it is irreversible and will not grow together on its own. The article “Metatarsal fracture – pain afterwards” might also be of interest to you in this regard. In the course of the regeneration of a metatarsal fracture, there are other measures available in addition to active exercises, such as stabilization using tapping machines, massage and fascial techniques for loosening surrounding musculature, which is tensed and shortened by the injury and immobilization, electrotherapy and manual techniques to restore optimal mobility, resilience and functionality.