3

I kicked a wall (don't ask!) and after some tooing and froing managed to get an x ray.

If clearly shows a clean fracture of the 2nd metatarsal near the toe, not displaced. I'll go through the NHS motions, but given it can take a while for the wheels to move I'd like to start to do the right thing.

Would this just require an air boot support generally? Or would it be cast? I can still walk on the heel and outside edge of my foot so I'm reasonably mobile still... Any initial advice and any tips to speed up healing would be great!

Here's the x ray, right foot, oblique angle - equally, does this look like it may require surgury to place and of the fractured bones?

http://ia2o.com/_ia2o/temp/right-foot-x-ray.PNG

Improve this question
4
  • 2
    That is not a clean, minor, non-displaced fracture, just so you know. Stay off your foot (get some crutches) and see someone as soon as feasible. – anongoodnurse Feb 22 '16 at 1:29
  • once i fractured my hand and i had to go through many different health practitioners to get the proper treatment. ambulance paramedic told me it was not a fracture. in er doctor told me it was not a fracture, i asked to see xray, they cleared me to leave and called me back when i was in bus stop to tell me it was a fracture. Went to a established bone doctor who appeared in magazines, saw me 2 minutes, aid put my hand in cast, left. I did some research, concluded cast was not put right went to another doctor who took cast off, put new one as i had researched. good luck. – freethinker36 Feb 24 '16 at 2:51
  • 2
    @freethinker36 I'm truly shocked that any paramedic would tell you a bone is not fractured seeing as how x-ray machines aren't carried on ambulances anywhere in the world I've ever heard of. The next time one does tell you that, mention it to the ER doc because that paramedic needs some refresher training. A paramedic might tell you a bone is broken because it's visibly apparent, but it's impossible to rule out a fracture without some type of imaging capability. – Carey Gregory♦ Feb 24 '16 at 19:04
  • 2
    I'm closing this question as being subjective and opinion based, because doctor A may recommend surgery, doctor B might recommend a boot and doctor C might recommend complete non weight bearing, etc. Also, while there is an accepted answer, it's basically "it's fractured, this is how doctor A treated it" which is certainly personal advice, as this may or may not be applicable to someone else that has the same type of injury, and could potentially be misleading. – JohnP♦ Feb 26 '16 at 22:11
1

Edit:

If there's any obvious fracture, follow RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.

Do not bear any weight until you can see a specialist and get a diagnosis, and a diagnosis you are happy with.

Try to rest it as much as possible and keep the limb elevated above the heart as much as you can until you have professional medical advice.

In my situation:

I saw the orthopaedic specialist today. The conclusion from the x ray is that yes, it's fractured... But the "good" news is that I only have a fracture boot and can load bear on my heel as much as pain allows.

The summary is that there's a lateral metatarsal ligament that binds the knuckles of the metatarsals together, and as long as only 1 of the central metatarsals is fractured, it is in effect supported in position by that ligament and the two either side act as splints.

In that the bone is in the correct position, it'll not drop back (if more than one was fractured, the ligament would pull it back) and it'll be 3 -4 weeks before I can start to weight bear and 6 weeks should be back to ahem normal. No pins or plates required.

Improve this answer

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.