If you've had a metatarsal stress fracture, can you tell me your experience please?

[newnamenellie]

I'm now coming up to 6 weeks since I developed foot pain which was diagnosed as a 3rd metatarsal stress fracture after nearly four weeks of limping around and being told it definitely wasn't that!!

Anyway, I'm now in an Aircast boot and this has helped massively with walking and I feel that there the foot is generally looking and feeling better, BUT I'm in the dark as to what to do next.

The diagnosis was made at an NHS MSK clinic which I was (thankfully!) able to self refer to. I'd had an x-ray at minor injuries when it first became painful, but this showed nothing so I was told it was most likely a tendinitis. I had my doubts and thought it was probably a stress fracture, but no-one would listen and I couldn't get a follow up x-ray either through my GP or through minor injuries where I'd gone initially.

Luckily, the practitioner at the MSK clinic identified it straightaway, did x-rays to confirm and that was that. He issued the boot and then referred me to the orthopaedic outpatient clinic at the hospital. I got an appointment through from them, but this is not until 12 June. By then, it'll be nearly ten weeks since the the saga began and six weeks since from getting the boot.

I've tried looking online for advice and most things suggest removing the boot between weeks 6-8 and weaning off it. Question is, I assume this is for people who have been wearing it from day one (rather than day 26!) but I just don't know.

I'm pretty keen to go without the boot but when I do, my foot still feels pretty fragile and I obviously don't want to overdo it.

I'd be keen to hear from others who have had similar.

Just thought I would give you my recent experience, not quite the same as yours but similar.

So, 5 May, maiden voyage of my new, flat, wide soled practical sandals, I stumbled on a pothole walking into town. Wow did it hurt. Could hardly walk, came over all sick/faint from the shock, trip into town was abandoned and had to get the bus home.

Once home, foot in cold water/ice etc hoping the pain/swelling would go down as thought I had just sprained it. Woke up the next morning in agony, couldn't walk so went to A&E/UCC. Foot was x-rayed and I have broken my 3rd and 4th metatarsals on my right foot. Was issued with a tall walking boot and told by the Nurse Practitioner that I would probably need this for circa. 4 weeks.

I was called the day after my UCC visit by Orthopaedics and offered an appointment in their Outpatient Dept on 16 May. When I saw the Ortho Registrar he told me that I have a clean break of my metatarsals (minimally displaced on the x-ray) and to wear the boot until I feel that I can wean myself off it. He said that they should heal ok.

I've had my boot on for 3 weeks and the pain and swelling have improved massively. I also had a massive bruise which has gone. Now and again I try and walk without it but I can still feel a twinge. I'm going to give it another week and see if I can mobilise without it. I have been told it could take 6-8 weeks to heal if not longer, and there could still be some pain and swelling for a few months after which is normal.

I think everyone's healing time is going to be different depending on the type of fracture that you have.

Have a look at Patient UK on the internet and search on metatarsal fractures. There is a really good article on the different types of fractures.

The worse thing is I can't drive so DH is chauffeuring me around. Oh, and the new sandals are going on the BBQ😂

Hi @SheBangsTheDrumsSR (good name btw!)

Thanks for giving your experience. Yikes, what a nightmare! Mine was nothing like so dramatic - literally just a case of too much walking and ignoring the initial niggles.

It's so frustrating being in the boot, but I agree that it helps massively and I've decided that I need to keep mine on until I have my follow up appointment in 2.5 weeks. I got carried away reading things online about coming out of the boot after 6 weeks and it should be healed by then etc... Clearly it's not a quick or necessarily straightforward process and it makes more sense just to be patient (not my forte) and let it mend properly.

Good luck with yours!

If it's helping I would keep wearing the boot. I don't think you've been wearing it very long, and if they wanted you to start weaning yourself off it before your appointment I expect they would have said.

My relative had a stress fracture and took the boot off to drive but I'm not sure that that's recommended.

Hello @newnamenellie , and do I feel for you! I have broken the 4th meta on each foot in the last 10 years so feel highly qualified to share my experiences with you! Breaking small bones in the foot is pretty stupid and such a pain!
One time I fell off a ladder (barefoot in the shower!) while prepping a ceiling for skimming and painting.
The second time I fell down the public parking garage stairs trying to catch my sunglasses before they hit the ground. (They were already old and scratched, don't know why I bothered! ;)
So please don't feel stupid. This could even be the theme of a new thread!
Some very nice high school students saw me lying on the steps of a church in terrible pain ( yes, how embarrassing) and they called an ambulance.

I was checked out by the ambulance but didn't want to be taken to the local a&e because my car would have been stuck in paid parking for a week asmy dh was out of town. So I drove myself to the clinic! Luckily it was my an automatic and not the break foot!
In both cases I had x-rays and a broken bone and they put an old fashioned plaster cast on me to the knee. I was not allowed to bear weight for 6 weeks and had to use crutches. HORRIBLE! As I lived on the second floor with slippery stone steps.... I also had to have daily shots by a nurse who came to the house, to avoid blood clotting.
My in-laws came for 10 days , not to help as requested , but on holiday!. I could have killed my FIL when he complained the meat was overcooked and the pasta soggy. I cooked sitting on an office chair that had wheels and used it as a wheel chair so I could carry dishes to the dining room. I should have dumped it on his head. I must get some perverse pleasure in seeing how pathetic and selfish dh's family can be? But that is another story....

Thank you for your responses and sorry for delay in updating.

It's now 8 weeks since the pain began, nearly five weeks in the boot and still another ten days until my appointment at the orthopaedic clinic.

Still getting pain if I try to walk in normal shoes, it's bearable and I would put up with it if I knew that it wasn't doing any harm or if it was definitely healed, but as I don't know either of those things, I'm just going to stick with the boot until my appointment next week...

I can't believe that this is taking so long!

Well if you have been bearing weight on it for 8 weeks it is not surprising it still hurts. It hasn't been able to mend properly. IMO.
Do go back and have another xray . You may need surgery.

@Whataretalkingabout I haven’t been weight bearing on it for 8 weeks.

It happened 8 weeks ago, I went to A&E and was xrayed but nothing showed at that stage. I was told to rest it which I did, it it didn’t improve. I managed to get an appointment at an NHS physio clinic who xrayed it again and found the stress fracture. This was 3.5 weeks after it happened. I was put in an Aircast boot at that stage. I’ve been wearing the boot for 5 weeks nearly.

I have a follow up appointment at the orthopaedic outpatient clinic next week.

I’m just getting over a broken toe. Not the metatarsal, I don’t think but the next one forward. I had two weeks hobbling before I went to the podiatrist then xray for confirmation. I stubbed my little toe.

The two weeks movement meant no healing took place but, thankfully, no displacement. I have finished my 6 weeks in a surgical shoe, xray after four weeks showed callousing so that was good.

After getting the surgical shoe, I did carry on life as normal for a few days before I remembered that when I broke my arm, dh did a lot around the house for five days so I could give it a good start at healing. So, I started resting with my foot up as much as possible.

I can walk on it but it still hurts briefly at the wrong angle as the callous is still there (swelling of the bone at the healing site). I expect that to take some months to go down completely.

I happen to be still hobbling and in pain as I seem to have developed bursitis or something two bones up with sizeable swelling and nerve pain along my foot midline. Ultrasound on Friday. I don’t think the two are connected as I appear to have a smaller, matching swelling in the other foot.

I think six weeks is standard operating procedure for immobilisation of a fracture. That’s why your followup is for then. Trying to wear normal shoes early might be asking for a bad fit because it will still be swollen and unstable.

@TheSandgroper thank you, I'm sure you're right about the 6 weeks in the boot and I will be sticking with it until I go for my appointment next week. It seems that there is no hard and fast rule for healing and that any delay in diagnosis will of course be problematic.

I hope your ultrasound helps to identify what's wrong with your foot.