Fifth metatarsal injury: any advice?

Hi fellas,

I broke my fifth metatarsal on August 6 while playing football (seven weeks and three days ago). I wore a cast for 4 weeks and a half, and since then I have been wearing a walking boot. 4 days ago I got an X-ray:

The doctor told me almost three weeks ago that it still needed some time since it hadn't fully healed (the fracture had already "mucus", but it had to consolidate. I still had no hard bone callus). Anyway, I have 0 symptoms, either while walking or resting. Yesterday I walked for 20 minutes straight with the Walker boot, symptom-free. I tried to walk without the boot this morning, and I have 0 symptoms. What should I do? I don't wanna risk all these seven disgusting and tedious weeks. Can I walk without the boot if I don't have symptoms?

(9 months ago I had the same fracture while playing football. It fully recovered and I have since trained intensely).

Thanks in advance.

This is a new wrinkle in boy usage. Still a new user but not a climbing related question

Edit: Hah - I meant bot. 

B G wrote:

This is a new wrinkle in boy usage. Still a new user but not a climbing related question

Thanks for your comment!!!!!   

B G wrote:

This is a new wrinkle in boy usage. Still a new user but not a climbing related question

How do you know he identifies as a boy and not a bot?

FrankPS wrote:

How do you know he identifies as a boy and not a bot?

I'm not a bot, my friend. I wish I was (I wouldn't be injured!).

John wrote:

Hi fellas,

I broke my fifth metatarsal on August 6 while playing football (seven weeks and three days ago). I wore a cast for 4 weeks and a half, and since then I have been wearing a walking boot. 4 days ago I got an X-ray:

The doctor told me almost three weeks ago that it still needed some time since it hadn't fully healed (the fracture had already "mucus", but it had to consolidate. I still had no hard bone callus). Anyway, I have 0 symptoms, either while walking or resting. Yesterday I walked for 20 minutes straight with the Walker boot, symptom-free. I tried to walk without the boot this morning, and I have 0 symptoms. What should I do? I don't wanna risk all these seven disgusting and tedious weeks. Can I walk without the boot if I don't have symptoms?

(9 months ago I had the same fracture while playing football. It fully recovered and I have since trained intensely).

Thanks in advance.

Call your doctor and ask, they're the only one who can answer your question 

Did almost same exact injury.  Not much blood flow to that area.  I usually “accelerate” recommended recovery times, but not this one.  If you’re just talking going sans boot but taking it super easy, that’s one thing (I did), but getting back in the saddle and getting back to normal use is another.  

Can’t go wrong listening to the doc.  You very much CAN go wrong getting internet medical advice from randos..

 (but that said, most docs are overly cautious and assume you’re the average ordinary idiot patient.  I prefer to be their extraordinary idiot patient and cherry pick what they say and fill in the gaps myself)

John wrote:

Hi fellas,

I broke my fifth metatarsal on August 6 while playing football (seven weeks and three days ago). I wore a cast for 4 weeks and a half, and since then I have been wearing a walking boot. 4 days ago I got an X-ray:

The doctor told me almost three weeks ago that it still needed some time since it hadn't fully healed (the fracture had already "mucus", but it had to consolidate. I still had no hard bone callus). Anyway, I have 0 symptoms, either while walking or resting. Yesterday I walked for 20 minutes straight with the Walker boot, symptom-free. I tried to walk without the boot this morning, and I have 0 symptoms. What should I do? I don't wanna risk all these seven disgusting and tedious weeks. Can I walk without the boot if I don't have symptoms?

(9 months ago I had the same fracture while playing football. It fully recovered and I have since trained intensely).

Thanks in advance.

Same injury. GIVE IT TIME!

Mark Pilate wrote:

Did almost same exact injury.  Not much blood flow to that area.  I usually “accelerate” recommended recovery times, but not this one.  If you’re just talking going sans boot but taking it super easy, that’s one thing (I did), but getting back in the saddle and getting back to normal use is another.  

Can’t go wrong listening to the doc.  You very much CAN go wrong getting internet medical advice from randos..

 (but that said, most docs are overly cautious and assume you’re the average ordinary idiot patient.  I prefer to be their extraordinary idiot patient and cherry pick what they say and fill in the gaps myself)

I personally prefer to be cautious/conservative rather than ruin almost 8 weeks of recovery. I asked here because I can't see my doctor until October 10, and it's surprising that the X-ray still doesn't show a hard bone callus (although the doctor told me that a soft bone callus had already been formed. It just had to get tough) since I have no symptoms. Anyway, I'll continue wearing the Walker Boot.

You might want to buy yourself bigger  shoes. The stiffer the better. People make them insoles for more support. If you tell me the shoe name and size I might be able to help you with the pattern.

I’ve made this for someone with missing toes.

I had this same injury when I was younger. It initially started as a stress fracture from running (I have high arches and was wearing poor shoes.) I booted it for a little (something like 4 weeks), went and worked a summer in New Mexico, and it was healed during that time. I smacked my foot in a lead fall and broke it the following October, same injury. Doctor recommended surgery so that I could go to a active lifestyle and work again, packraft guiding, the following summer. 

I have had the screw in my foot for about 9 years, and it does not bother me at all, nor do I ever think about it. I don't know if I would make the surgery choice again with a wiser/more aware-of-my-health brain, but it worked really well for younger me, and I have not had any issues with the foot since. The doctor tried to get me on orthotics post-surgery, which I wore for a couple months, but have not used since.

Heal up! Like folks are saying, just take it slow and give it lots of time.