Do I have a Broken Foot?

By Justin Delicato, PTA, Site Coordinator

How Does a Broken Foot Occur?

Numerous cases can cause a broken foot to occur. The most common causes include car accidents, falls, misstep, fall of a heavy weight onto foot, and overuse. Each of these causes can contribute to a broken foot, resulting in greater injury to the foot. Typically, broken bones in the foot are the result of an accident, but overuse can also result in a broken foot. Overuse injuries are typically referred to as stress fractures that cause small cracks in the bone over time. These types of breaks are typically hard to see on x-ray due to the minimal size of the break

Anatomy of the Foot

The human foot consists of 26 bones and is divided into 3 parts or sections. The sections include the hindfoot, midfoot, and forefoot. Each section of the foot consists of different bones that make up that section.

There are 2 bones (talus and calcaneus) in the hindfoot that serve as the attachment part of the leg and the foot. The midfoot has five smaller bones called the navicular, cuboid, and 3 cuneiforms bones. Lastly, the forefoot has nineteen bones, a metatarsal for each of the 5 toes. The big toe has two phalanges, while the other toes each have three phalanges.

Symptoms of a Broken Foot

If you have a broken foot, you may experience the following symptoms:

• Pain (this can vary from mild to severe).
• Bruising (one of the most common signs of a broken bone).
• Swelling.
• Deformity.
• Tenderness.
• Difficulty with weight-bearing.

Healing time for a Broken Foot?

Healing time for a broken foot depends upon the type of fracture and the bones broken. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms above, please see a physician. A physician will examine the foot, which will consist of palpation, motor function, and range of motion. Typically an x-ray will be performed to evaluate the status of the bone. X-rays typically show your physician if a bone break did occur, but occasionally X-rays may not be adequate to visualize the injury (stress fractures).

Treatment for a fractured foot

The treatment of a foot fracture depends upon what bone is broken, the mechanism of injury, the underlying medical condition of the patient, and whether it is an open or closed fracture. Treatment can consist of either immobilization, surgery, or rest and ice. These treatment options are all based on the type of fracture and severity of the fracture.

What does JOI have to offer?

The Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute has a dedicated team of physicians that are dedicated to your orthopedic treatment. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms above and would like to see a physician regarding this, JOI offers six different MD locations, and they are located throughout the northeast Florida area.

• JOI MD Locations:
  • Baptist South.
  • Nassau.
  • Baptist Beaches.
  • Baptist Clay.
  • San Marco.

JOI also offers physical therapy in numerous areas in northeast Florida if your referring MD feels physical therapy would assist you in relieving these symptoms.

• JOI Physical Therapy Locations:
  • Arlington.
  • Westside.
  • San Marco.
  • Fleming Island.
  • Baptist South.
  • Mandarin.
  • North.
  • Nocatee.
  • Nassau.
  • Point Meadows.
  • Baptist Beaches.
  • World Golf Village.
• Related Articles:
• Total Ankle Joint Replacement 
• Ankle Fracture
• High Ankle Sprain
• Low Ankle Sprain

All JOI Physicians, Physical Therapists, and Occupational Therapists now offer Telemedicine services for virtual visits from the convenience of your home.

• To schedule an appointment for physical or occupational therapy, call 904-858-7045 or call any of the 12 area JOI Rehab Centers.

JOI and JOI Rehab

JOI Physicians continue to offer online new patient appointments. This is another option to make it more convenient to make new patient appointments with less phone hold times. Follow the link below to select your JOI MD and schedule online.

You can still call 904-JOI-2000 to make new patient JOI Physician Appointments if that is your preference.

By: Justin Delicato, PTA, Site Coordinator