Can you break a bone and not realise?

[theheartofthematter]

A couple of weeks ago I went over on my ankle, I have done it more times than I care to remember, I have several times really damaged the ligaments on all points of my ankle so it's not unknown for me to do it. This time I felt a real crack as I went over and thought 'shit, this time I have really broken it'. I stayed off it for a few days but could put my toes down and after a few days could walk without crutches, albeit very painfully. It is now nearly 3 weeks later, I have an almost electric shock pain in a certain spot that almost radiates a hot surge of pain from this spot. It really hurts to touch and is the place where I felt it 'crack'. I am in a lot of pain still, on my foot rather than the ankle. It also seems to be a bit crunchy when I walk about. Could I have broken a little bone in my foot and still be walking about? If it was a little bone would the doctors care at this point or just say to leave it to heal? I am trying to decide if it is worth wasting a doctors appointment over! Could a ligament feel crunchy? I am very happy to be told that it can and I should just wait it out

X-ray?!?

Ooh I don’t know the answer to this but following with interest. I fell down a flight of stairs at work a year ago and had a sore foot for several weeks. In fact it never completely went back to normal.
Recently I fell over (I know clumsy) in the garden on the same foot and the Same feeling of discomfort is back.

I’ve not wanted to clog up the Dr with something like this as it’s not so bad I can’t walk etc but it’s just not completely right. If that Makes any sense!

Just to add that with the pain you’re describing I would deffo want to get it looked at! Mine wasn’t as bad as what you’re describing.

Yes. My brother’s boarding school matron had him hobbling around on a broken leg for a couple of days before a trip to A&E revealed all.

The thing is I know how it goes, get a go appointment, they say they can't see so need an X-ray and then that's all sorts of time and resources used up when I have done this stupid ankle more times than I care to think about and it could well be just a ligament. I guess I am hoping that someone will say a ligament can feel like that healing and it is normal

I broke my toe and a metatarsal without realising. I did really bash my foot and it was v painful so I'm not sure why I didn't get it checked out until 3 weeks later!

GP not go 🙄

@RoundedTum did they say it was too late to do anything for it or did they put in in a boot or something?

Id say you can
I walked around for a few weeks before i clicked my toe was broken.
Ive also i suspect broken top of my foot, horrid pain, like a searing burning from deep inside and swelling for a few weeks
It healed in end, granted some of my old shoes didnt fit after cos foot changed shape
With both, i didnt see a dr once

Yes, sounds like you could have. Worth getting it checked out, but Minor Injuries unit would be better than your GP as they’re more likely to have X-ray facilities

Yes it is possible there's lots of little bones in the feet/ankles. Unfortunately without an x-ray you won't know for sure. Leaving it hasn't helped it clear up, do you have a minor injuries dept?
I wouldn't even bother with a GP appointment as they won't know either.

Yes you can. I know someone whose break wasn't properly diagnosed until 6 months later and an MRI scan picked it up. Theirs was an avulsion fracture.

My elderly DM had a slight fall last year and banged her ankle but didn’t think she had hurt it badly and continued to walk on it (with her frame). A few days later her ankle was very bruised but she was still able to walk on it and not in too much pain. She had an X-ray due to the bruising and it was badly broken resulting in her having to have an operation and pins putting in her ankle so it’s possible to break it and not realise.

Definitely yes. I've broken two bones. One was a bad break and I knew immediately. The other was a stress fracture in a bone in my foot - I commuted into work the day after the injury, walked around in normal work shoes etc (pre lockdown!), popped off to the GP in the afternoon as it was sore and she sent me to A&E, who X rayed it and found a fracture. In a boot for weeks after that. Get it checked out.

Yes. My mum walked around with a broken arm (humerus) for 2 weeks! She thought it was just bruised. At the hospital they couldn't believe that she'd been pottering around for two weeks before going in.

They have me a boot thing and told me to try not to walk around too much.

Easier said than done with young kids around!

My DD hurt her ankle at the weekend in a fall. They x-rayed her and said that she had sprained her ligament which in turn had broken off a little bit of bone where the ligament was attached. She's in a boot and they gave her crutches but she can also walk on it without the boot a bit although it quickly swells more and becomes painful. I've no idea if this is what you've done but might be worth getting it checked out. Hope you feel better soon.

I just did a google image search of bones of the foot and was poking it and nearly made my partner jump out of his skin cos I shouted so loud. I think I may need to have it looked at. There is no swelling there though, the swelling and bruising was all on the outside of my ankle, classic place for my normal sprains

I had a facial X-ray in Germany and the radiographer told me my nose was broken.

I don’t remember any incident that could possibly have led to this. I did drink a lot as a student but never had black eyes or any of the normal indicators that go with a broken nose. It’s a mystery

My brother got an injury to his neck, and had X rays. The Dr ask where he had his collarbone break treated as the records weren't on file. What collar bone break? He never knew he'd broken it, but the x-ray showed he had, apparently 6-9 months previously.
Moral of the story, if you must play rugby, be better at it than my brother.

Yes, absolutely. I'm always going over on my ankle. Last time it swelled up to the size of a tennis ball, so I went to A&E. it was a tiny fracture right at the bottom of my leg.
They said there was evidence of a previous fracture that had healed. I had assumed it was a bad sprain.
If it's still very painful I'd go and get it checked out.

I do think you should go and get it checked out.

I have been convinced. I will ask for an appointment/ask for the right place to go tomorrow.

Yes I broke my elbow (I could very much tell) bit when I went for a follow up appointment I mentioned my thumb and wrist were a bit achy as well they did some more xrays turned out I had broken them as well but hadn't realised.

Yes, I had this years ago!

There seems to be a great deal of misunderstaning in the general population, but a fracture of a bone, is the same as break! Yes, there are many types and degrees of breaks, but they are the same as a fracture.

I walked on my foot which was asleep on shift, heard a crack and was limping in pain. I was actually working in a hospital as student and even had an X-ray in their A&E dept! I was told nothing was broken and to carry on!

I ended up with a black/purple foot from toes to ankle, but carried on with my regular student shifts. 6 weeks later, it was still aching. A 2nd X-ray revealed that I did indeed have a fracture which should have been splinted for 6 weeks and not walked on!!! I had a crack/fracture through my 5th metatarsal. I had walked on it as advised, but now, 20yrs on do get aches in that area. I will likely get arthritis from the lack of a proper immobility and healing to the area!

Get it checked, as its not worth having life long arthritis or pain due to lack of a proper diagnosis and treatment.