by Quana
(Oklahoma City, OK)
Three weeks ago I stepped off of a curb, twisted my ankle, and broke my 5th metatarsal bone. I went to the ER that evening and the break was confirmed by x-ray. The ER doctor said that the break was in a place that sometimes has problems uniting and may need surgery. He put a fiberglass splint on my foot with instructions to see an orthopedist in 2 to 3 days. He said that I should not put any weight on my foot.
Because I have an HMO, I had to see my primary care physician to get a referral to an orthopedist. Without seeing the x-rays, my PCP said that I didn't need a referral to an orthopedist. She took me out of the splint and put me in an aircast boot and said I can walk as tolerated. She also ordered another set of x-rays. When she got the report on the x-rays, she said that the fracture is aligned well, but still needs to heal. She left me in the aircast boot, again with instructions to walk as tolerated.
My concern is that I am still having quite a bit of pain after 3 weeks. I do not know if I have an avulsion fracture, a Jones fracture, or a shaft fracture. Based on what the ER doctor said, I suspect that I may have a Jones fracture and should not be putting any weight on it. My PCP did say that it is a serious injury and can take up to 2 to 3 months to completely heal. I can't decide whether to go back to my PCP and ask for a referral to an orthopedist or wait until the next set of x-rays in 4 weeks to see if it is healing properly.
Hi Quana,
In my opinion your PCP is not the expert in these types of fractures. A fifth metatarsal base fracture has a high incidence of nonunion (nonhealing fracture), so much so that most insurance companies will allow for the use of a bone stimulator almost immediately rather than waiting 6-9 months as used to be the case.
I would not recommend bearing weight on it until it is adequately assessed by an orthopedist or a podiatrist.
Marc Mitnick DPM
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