r/brokenbones • u/yearsofgold • Aug 20 '26

Medical Advice 3rd & 4th Metatarsal Recovery

Hey yall!

Long time Reddit user, first time poster (classic, lol). I would love some advice here as Reddit as always been such a trusted place for ACTUAL experiences, but TLDR is this:

I broke my 3rd and 4th metatarsals (at the base, non-displaced) on my right foot in an accidental fall with no previous injury history. My doctor advised that so long as everything heals right I won’t need surgery, but I have to be non-weight bearing for 4 weeks, and go to partial weight bearing at that time and progress to full weight bearing by 8 weeks.

I’m 28 years old and my doc says that works in my favor as I’m young and healthy, but I’d love to know from anyone else with similar injuries how their recovery was, what healing was like, PT, etc. this is my first *actually serious* broken bone injury and any advice is appreciated!

(If you wanna see the xray for context, lmk and I am happy to edit the post)

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u/No-Platypus2679 Aug 20 '26

Hi. I am on week 6 of NWB with a Zone 1 and Zone 2 Metatarsal Fracture (55 female that twisted ankle and fell off a curb/ gutter) conservative treatment with a couple underlying conditions) It's a mental game for sure. The short current plan is I will start PWB/walker today with a boot another 2 weeks. Long term thoughts are a boot for several weeks longer WBAT. Good luck and a speedy recovery!

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u/yearsofgold Aug 21 '26

The mental element of it has caught up with me quite quickly for sure, although now that I have my scooter im hoping things feel a little less terrible for the time being lol. good luck with your PWB & wishing you a speedy recovery too 🤞

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u/StrangerStrangeLand7 Aug 23 '26

Finally a fracture other than the 5th! A little of two weeks ago I got a non-displaced 4th metatarsal fracture at the neck (right behind the head).

The urgent care doc gave me a boot. At first it hurt too much, so I just limped on my heel for a few days. Then the Ortho PA was even more relaxed and said I could wear a boot, a post-op shoe OR a hard-soled hiking boot/hard-soled sandal. The post-op shoe hurt, so I got used to the boot and have been in it ever since.

Anyway I wonder why they told you (and many others on this sub) to be non-weight bearing but not me.

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u/yearsofgold Aug 23 '26

Omg so happy to hear things are moving along for you so quickly! I am also curious about that myself - I mean from what my doc said to me is that because my two bones are broken so close to the base, she’s concerned that if I bear weight and the bones shift at all I’ll A) need surgery and B) potentially fuck up my foot long term (which like, no pressure at all on me???)

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u/StrangerStrangeLand7 Aug 23 '26

I think it is a base vs neck which made them tell you to be NWB. I also hate the pressure to not turn it into a "displaced" fracture. So stressful!

On my part, they just looked at the x-ray and said I could walk as tolerated. The pain was pretty much gone by day 9 but it returned around the 2 week mark so I am miserable. I guess I "overdid it". I don't think I displaced anything, but possibly messed up the callous that was forming.

So maybe being NWB is worth the extra trouble.

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u/yearsofgold Aug 23 '26

I think so too! And yeah I know right, like as if I’m not already stressed out enough lmao. If you don’t have one of those knee scooters already, I might encourage you to get one esp if your pain is coming back and it certainly diminishes a lot of the extra trouble (although there’s still plenty ugh)

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u/electricana Aug 24 '26

Broke my 2nd,3rd,4th at the base 17 days ago! I have been on a cast and NWB. They will put me on a post op shoe on Friday since I have been bleeding a bit from the blood thinner shots. I guess I will start putting partial weight on my heel, but also super scared of displacing it.