Broken Foot Bones

Each foot houses 26 bones, so it’s no surprise to hear about 1 out of every 10 broken bones occurs in the foot.

Bones of the Foot

Talus: where the foot attaches to the leg

Calcaneus: forms the heel

Navicular, cuboid and cuneiforms: make up the midfoot

Metatarsals and phalanges: make up the toes

Sesamoid bones: small pebble-like bones that don’t perform any necessary function

Causes

Most bones break due to accidents that cause you to crush, bend, twist or stretch the bone. Bones can also break due to stress fractures. These occur when small cracks form in the bones from repeated stress on that area.

Diagnosing

Broken bones and sprains both cause bad pain, swelling and bruising, so it is usually not possible to tell if the foot is actually broken without an x-ray. Depending on the severity, the doctor may have you come into his office, or send you straight to the hospital. You should go to the emergency room immediately if your foot is blue, cold, numb, misshapen, deformed, pointing in the wrong direction, if there is a large wound, or if you are in severe pain.

Treatment

How your broken bone is treated will depend on which bone it is and the severity of the break. You may need crutches, a splint, a cast or surgery to repair the bone. 

Image by Jerrica Benton. IMG_3882. (2011). Flickr.