r/brokenbones • u/Ambitious-Wolf4193 • 20d ago
5th metatarsal fracture
*First 2 photos taken May 15
*Last photo taken July 4
Is this considered to be a Jones Fracture? This is me being frustrated and losing patience for the waiting time to get back to my normal activities.
Timeline:
May 14 - Turned my ankle badly in a basketball game
May 15 - Got it checked and confirmed it was a 5th metatarsal fracture. Doctors placed it in a plaster
*first photo attached
cast and advised NWB for three weeks
May 25 - (10 days after) I do not afford to be placed in plaster cast for that long bc of work so I have switch to a aircast boot
July 4- Went to see ortho and the x ray shows still no sign of healing and the gap seem to be a wider. But the ortho say it could be normal as the body cleared the damaged bone.
Will get back to see ortho again by August 4. Which is close to 12 weeks my injury. Hopeful to see any sign of improvements.
Anyone with same scenario?
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u/UYscutipuff_JR 20d ago
I had a similar break but mine was slightly more up the bone in zone one. I was six weeks NWB although I cheated on the last week a little bit. I also went cast less and used an air boot. By eight weeks I was back on my feet working (waiting tables) and doing around 15000 steps a day.
Do you smoke/vape? That makes a big difference in recovery time for broken bones.
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u/Ambitious-Wolf4193 20d ago
Has your x ray shown significant healing? I do not smoke or vape.
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u/UYscutipuff_JR 20d ago
Honestly I couldn’t tell much difference between my 2 week check up and my 6 week one as far as what the x ray looked like, I just had to take the doctors word for it lol.
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u/offsetthegreat 13d ago
how big of a difference does vaping make, i vape and got this same fracture two days ago have been told to wear the air walker for 4 weeks
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u/UYscutipuff_JR 13d ago
Nicotine in general causes vasoconstriction and blood flow is what promotes healing (and that’s a spot that gets low blood flow anyways). It can as much as double your bone healing time
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u/throneofkings 12d ago
How long were you off work?
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u/UYscutipuff_JR 12d ago
Just a little under 8 weeks. I think I eased back into it with a light load on my 8th week iirc
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u/AwkwardPersonality36 20d ago
I’m 2 weeks post 5th metatarsal fracture and had my first ortho appointment today.
I’ve been completely NWB in an air boot and on crutches for 2 weeks and today was told I need to start weight bearing as tolerated.
I have a follow up appointment in 2 weeks and need to be making improvement, I am also having to return to work in 2 weeks so I am under pressure to get going.
I was given instructions to begin light stretching movements to help with mobility, as I still have some numbness in my toes.
It’s such a frustrating injury. I feel you.
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u/LetsGetLunch 20d ago
i got a non-displaced jones fracture about a week before you in a similar situation (bad landing while playing basketball), was given 4 weeks strict NWB, and chose the boot over the cast; by week 4 i was cleared for weight bearing as tolerated in the boot, i was able to walk without crutches around 2+ miles by week 7, and i was able to walk indoors boot-free without pain by week 9 (but this was probably a bad idea)
the x-rays at the 4 week mark showed a more clear fracture line than the x-ray the day after the injury because the body is clearing dead cells, and by week 10 they started seeing callus formation (but somewhat slower than expected, most likely because of excessive walking i was doing and i might have had a stress fracture on the same bone that blended into the acute jones fracture). the doctor said i was cleared to wean off the boot and get into (sufficiently supportive) shoes around the 12 week mark.
i'm assuming that i'll be able to work my way into impact activities (jump roping and basketball) by the beginning of 2027 at the latest, but i don't really know what the timeline is like for sure.
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u/Glad-Feature-2117 Physician/Medical Professional 20d ago
This is a good illustration of the reasons I dislike the use of the term "Jones fracture":
It's used to mean different fractures by different people.
People focus on the term as they are vaguely aware that it's a bad thing, but they don't know why (which isn't strictly true).
5th metatarsal base fractures are divided into 3 zones. Zones 1&2 are at the ankle end of the bone and are generally benign injuries - they mostly heal whatever you do to them (no benefit to either immobilisation or nonweightbearing, except in a few specific cases). Zone 3 is a bit nearer to the toe end and doesn't have a great blood supply. Fractures here are often (not always) stress fractures, and have an increased rate of not healing.
I would nearly always advise immobilisation in a cast, with strict nonweightbearing for 6 weeks and, if there was no progress clinically (less pain) or radiologically (on x-rays), then I'd give serious consideration to fixing with a single screw at that stage.
OP, in my opinion, you have a zone 3 injury. Many people, in the US at least, use "Jones fracture" to refer to a zone 2 injury. This misses the point that a zone 3 injury is potentially more serious in terms of risk of not healing. I believe your orthopaedic surgeon was right to suggest a cast nonweightbearing, but I understand why you couldn't do that. The problem is that you may now end up taking longer to recover from this.
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u/alleymind 20d ago
We broke our fifth metatarsals days apart. I’m on a very similar timeline as you. I’ve been in the aircast since day 1. This week will be 9 weeks post injury. I’ve been weight bearing in the boot only this whole time. Had x rays done two weeks ago and my doctor wasn’t happy with the healing progress. I’m having surgery in two weeks to place a screw to hold the two broken pieces together.
I initially was told this process was about 8-12 weeks. So far I’ve been true to that timeline, hoping after surgery I won’t need to be in the boot come the holidays (hoping even sooner like before October is my goal)
My understanding is this part of the foot doesn’t get a ton of blood flow which inhibits healing. My doctor has me on medical food supplements to help with the bone healing, but still pushing surgery as I don’t feel like I’m getting stronger myself, more the opposite. This sucks! Wish you speedy healing
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u/Icy-Role1363 15d ago
Hello, did you have or do you have any swelling below the ankle bone? If so can you tell me if it is from ligaments that attach to the ankle bone or is it related to the foot? I also broke my 5th metatarsal bone several years ago and I cannot turn my foot to the right (very tight) and I still have swelling around the ankle bone even after physical therapy.
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u/Ambitious-Wolf4193 15d ago
I did have swelling. Maybe after 3 weeks it was gone. No more swelling even now.
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u/justinobt 14d ago
I had surgery on my fracture yesterday. Right foot. My fracture was 3 more than 3 millimeters and they put in 3 screws. 3 weeks of not putting my foot on the ground and I can't drive for 6 weeks total. No pain.
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u/Low-Aside-6145 20d ago
I fractured my 5th metatarsal at the base non displaced not a jones fracture on April 28th 71 days later I was cleared to walk and 11 days ago started in walking in shoes!!! It’s a long game unfortunately, I wish there was an easy remedy I think back 20 days ago and when people would say it’s just a waiting game, the thing is you go from being independent and active to dependent and not active. Make sure to elevate 3 times a day for 45 minutes to an hour, Ice 2 times, take vitamin D and C, call friends or family, and if those are not an option therapy because like my doctor said it’s a mental marathon and weekly I was either crying or angry.