Foot Fracture Treatment

Effective foot fracture treatment will help the broken bone or bones in your foot mend in correct alignment to prevent the development of foot arthritis and gait problems in the future.

The first step toward the best foot fracture treatment is seeking immediate care with a physician if you have suffered a traumatic injury to your foot, such as in a car accident. You may experience sharp, throbbing pain in your foot as well as swelling, bruising and obvious deformity. Try to keep your weight off your foot and see an orthopedic specialist as soon as possible to get on the path to broken foot treatment that will optimize healing and reduce complications.

Determining Broken Foot Treatment

Your physician will closely examine your foot symptoms to determine if indeed it is broken, and if it is, where the break is, how many bones are involved and if there are associated injuries. For these reasons, you will most likely have an X-ray, coupled with a bone scan, CT scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to get a better diagnosis on your foot fracture.

Common Treatments for Foot Fractures

Broken foot treatments vary from person to person, depending on the factors listed above. But forms of treatment are common. Your doctor will help you manage your pain and immobilize your foot in some fashion. Sometimes, you may need broken foot surgery as part of your treatment.

Your treatment could include:

• Rest, ice and elevation
• Tylenol, or when you have severe broken foot pain, a narcotic pain reliever such as Percocet or Vicodin
• Casting or splinting
• Reduction – in the case of a dislocated joint, your broken foot treatment will include manipulating that joint back into the correct position
• Surgery – in some cases, your physician will need to insert a plate or pins to hold healing bones together that may or may not be removed afterward
• Physical therapy after the foot fracture is healed to regain strength and flexibility

When your fracture is severe, your doctor at Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital might recommend surgery to help your bones mend, prevent foot arthritis and reduce the risk of further injury. A skilled surgeon will use pins, plates or screws to put your fractured bones back together. As you recover, you’ll participate in orthopedic rehabilitation to regain strength and range of motion.