Symptoms | Midfoot bone fracture

Symptoms

The symptoms of a metatarsal fracture are typical for most fractures of the body. One of the main symptoms is a severe pain, which is especially noticeable when the foot is pressed or tensed. In addition, there is usually a swelling of the affected foot as well as a bruise.

This bruise can cover large parts of the foot. Furthermore, specific symptoms can occur depending on whether and how many soft tissues are affected by the injury. For example, if nerves are damaged, this can lead to sensory disturbances in the foot.

If there is a so-called open fracture, parts of the bone have penetrated the skin surface. If the wound becomes infected in this case, other symptoms such as fever, reddening of the skin and overheated skin come to the fore.The classic symptoms of a metatarsal fracture are pain in addition to bruising, possible sensitivity disorders and swelling. However, the pain does not necessarily have to occur in every affected person.

So yes, there is a metatarsal fracture without pain. The symptoms of a metatarsal fracture vary individually and depend, among other things, on whether an acutely traumatic accident is the cause of the injury or whether it is a fatigue fracture. The latter often shows no significant pain at the beginning.

Those affected usually feel only a moderate pain immediately after the fracture event, as in the case of a contusion, which can be gone the next day. Therefore the metatarsal fracture is often not recognized. The strong pain usually only occurs in the further course of the fracture, when the metatarsus is still loaded despite the fracture.

At this point at the latest, a doctor should be consulted to take an X-ray to confirm the diagnosis of a metatarsal fracture. However, there is also the option of patients being completely pain-free for several months despite a metatarsal fracture. Often these are competitive athletes who can compensate for the injury with a well-developed musculoskeletal body.

However, even in such groups of people, overstraining the metatarsal bone at some point will mean that the metatarsal fracture no longer remains painless. A metatarsal fracture can be recognized by the typical symptoms associated with the injury. The metatarsal fracture usually occurs after an enormous force is applied to the foot.

If pain occurs in the foot after a force is applied, which increases when the force is applied and when pressure is applied, this can be seen as the first sign of a metatarsal fracture. Especially when the pain is accompanied by a significant swelling of the foot and bruising, the probability of a metatarsal fracture is relatively high. This can only be determined with certainty during a visit to the doctor.

By using imaging techniques, the foot can be examined for possible fractures. Bones are best visualized with an X-ray machine or computer tomograph. The use of an MRI machine to produce an MRI of the foot can provide information as to whether soft tissue has been damaged in addition to bone.