Question
Thank you so much for your time.  I broke my 5th metatarsal 2 years ago.  For the past 2 weeks my foot has been sore at the end of the day.  I went a few days ago to the doctor and the X-ray showed a fracture in the exact place I broke before. I have an orthopedic appointment next week.  I have been wearing a boot until then but I noticed that my foot really doesn't even hurt anymore.  Is that normal?  I would hate to have to be in a cast or on crutches for this especially since I have little to no pain.  Than you again.

Answer
Hi, Tanya,

Again, I apologize for the delay in my response.  Hopefully you have seen a podiatrist or orthopedic surgeon by now, and they should be able to answer your questions while performing a thorough examination.  It's difficult to give you a good answer to this question without examining your foot myself.

I wonder if this is truly a new fracture, or if perhaps your fracture from two years ago hadn't healed correctly.  Your body may have formed a "fibrous union" or "fibrocartilage union," where soft connective tissue joins the fracture pieces instead of bone.  We call that a nonunion, because instead of forming one solid bone, it connects the pieces in a way that allows some motion where there should be none.  That motion causes pain and sometimes swelling, and immobilization (no motion whatsoever) in something like a fracture boot is one piece of the treatment.

If you haven't seen the doctor yet, I'd say keep the boot on and wait until they can examine your foot.  There's no harm in using a boot and crutches for a week or two while you wait to see a specialist.  Better to be safe than sorry!

I hope this is helpful to you, and I hope that you heal quickly and have a complete resolution of any pain.

Wishing you health, happiness, and peace,
Dr. Bodart