Question
Hello. Just two nights ago i broke my foot during a dance recital. I was wearing jazz shoes which have no arch support and three times my foot popped before i could get off stage. I could have sworn at the time that my foot felt like rubber each time i put weight on my medial arch, and whenever it popped it was like my foot inverted so my medial arch touched the ground without my ankle moving. My family took me to the ER where i had x-rays and a CT scan done. The results showed that i had stress fractures in my cuboid, first cuniform and fourth metatarsal. The doctor sent me home in a splint for the weekend and gave me a number to a specialist to make an appt with. I have my appt tomorrow but i'm just wondering what you can tell me about my injury. About how long do you think it will take me to heal completely?(i'm almost 19 and have been an athlete my entire life) Is a cast or a boot the best way to go with so many breaks? Have you ever heard of so many fracture happening at one time?

The ER doctor said he had never seen this type of injury before, so he couldn't really give me any information at all. I've been at home in a splint, keeping it elevated almost the entire day and night, but it keeps swelling more and more and the pain keeps getting worse as well. My foot is a more purple-red ish color than the other but my capilary refill is good. The pain is a dull throbbing (with vicodin) but whenever i un-elevate it it really starts hurting.

Any advice?

Thanks, Jenna [:

Answer
Hi Jenna,

I'm sure you have already received treatment however, this may be a serious injury.  This may be considered a Lis Franc's fracture dislocation.  Recovery takes months and many people develop arthritis of chronic pain after the injury.  In some cases you may need surgery and you will need to make sure that you have physical therapy and rehab regardless of treatment.  Good Luck

Sincerely,

Marc Katz, DPM
Tampa, FL
Advanced Podiatry
www.thetampapodiatrist.com
www.tampacryosurgery.com

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