A non-union of my Jones fracture

by Marie
(Gore, Southland, New Zealand)

I have had a Jones fracture since September 14, 2008 which is not healing. I was under treatment with an orthopedic foot spsecialist who took x-rays and I stayed off my foot for 4 months but he finally cut me loose as I was scheduled to move to New Zealand.

Now I am in New Zealand and wanted to resume my walking regime and my foot, at the break site burns. It burns at night, I sleep with a shoe to relieve pressure from the weight of the blankets and burns in the day. Is my walking aggravating it? There is lots of scar tissue in my ankle as it was severely sprained (3 star, if that means anything) at the time of the break. I would like to be more active but am hesitant with the pain, not that it is intolerable but I don't want to make matters worse.

I used an "ultrasound" strap-on-the-foot bone stimulator but stopped when the bone was growing but felt that it was growing to the outside of my foot, not creating a union. What is your experience with the bone simulators? And should I continue that?

Thanks for your advice.

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A non-union of my Jones fracture

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Jul 20, 2008
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Follow Up X-ray?
by: Bart - SII

It sounds like you could still have some healing left to do in the metatarsal. The burning type of pain can sometimes indicate bone injury. I would recommend a follow-up X-ray to see how the bone is healing.

If you still have the bone stimulator, that may also be good to continue - they are very beneficial for helping with fracture healing, especially a Jones fracture which has a tendency to go non-union. Bone heals by forming a callous, so it will feel like there is a large bump at the break site - then, once the healing is complete, it will remodel itself to regain a normal shape.

The scar tissue around your ankle and fracture site could be causing some of the pain - massage can sometimes help with this.

Hope this helps - comment back with other questions.

Feb 25, 2009
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Jones fracture or Avulsion fracture
by: Anonymous

I still have soreness and aggravtes me feels very stiff and this fracture happened in oct and now its feb going on march its nerve raking i feel it sometimes when im not even walking and its everyday..

Apr 23, 2009
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Jones/Avulsion Fracture
by: Lisa

My advice would be to go ahead & get the surgery if it's not healing. I had a screw put in place, was on crutches for 2 weeks, then back in the walking (cast) boot. I am 5 weeks post-op, & am having some soreness in my muscles around the foot, but the fracture is finally showing signs of healing with xray. I had used a bone-growth stimulator, with some healing but not total. I continue to use it post-op, and it seems to be encouraging new growth in the area where the screw was put in. The surgery was fairly easy - the hardest part getting back on the crutches again. I one day hope to walk
pain-free (am not there yet). But at least I'm healing after 5 months of dealing with this injury.

Jun 03, 2009
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Jones fracture
by: Becci

It all started in Oct 2008, I had an accident and I had many non severe injuries, one being a break of my 4th met in my left foot. I healed from all of those injuries and was 5 days short of returning to work and I broke my 5th met. on my left foot Feb 10th and it was a Jones fracture. My doctor wanted me to heal without surgery, so we started that route, which I had done with the first injury, and everything healed nicely. I was 10 weeks on crutches (:( learning that was almost as bad as the break) after no sign of healing none my doctor referred me to a surgeon, after waiting 3 weeks for surgery I am now 3 weeks out. I was on crutches after surgery but saw the doctor yesterday and I'm now in a walking boot. He took xrays and their was NO sign of healing. None is it to early ?should I have more patience? Im so sick of this. I've lost my job and have no income and I feel realy stuck. In seeing my xray the bone looks the same non-union state only now I have a huge screw in the bone. I see the doctor again in 6 weeks. So something should be show healing by them I'm so afraid this is going to never end. What does happen if the bone doesn't heal. My doctor said we would do bone simulator next if it doesn't start to heal. At least now I off crutches. I'm a very active person and this has been really hard. Any words of encouragement towards anybodys simular healing experience would be greatly appreciated. What happens next?

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Jun 03, 2009
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Submitted by: Becci

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It all started in Oct 2008, I had an accident and I had many non severe injuries, one being a break of my 4th met in my left foot. I healed from all of those injuries and was 5 days short of returning to work and I broke my 5th met. on my left foot Feb 10th and it was a Jones fracture. My doctor wanted me to heal without surgery, so we started that route, which I had done with the first injury, and everything healed nicely. I was 10 weeks on crutches (:( learning that was almost as bad as the break) after no sign of healing none my doctor referred me to a surgeon, after waiting 3 weeks for surgery I am now 3 weeks out. I was on crutches after surgery but saw the doctor yesterday and I'm now in a walking boot. He took xrays and their was NO sign of healing. None is it to early ?should I have more patience? Im so sick of this. I've lost my job and have no income and I feel realy stuck. In seeing my xray the bone looks the same non-union state only now I have a huge screw in the bone. I see the doctor again in 6 weeks. So something should be show healing by them I'm so afraid this is going to never end. What does happen if the bone doesn't heal. My doctor said we would do bone simulator next if it doesn't start to heal. At least now I off crutches. I'm a very active person and this has been really hard. Any words of encouragement towards anybodys simular healing experience would be greatly appreciated. What happens next?

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Aug 19, 2009
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jones fracture
by: Anne in Mass

I was diagnosed about three weeks ago with a Jone fracture. I was told the pain would subsode in a couple of weeks. It has been over three weeks and it hurts almost as much as the day I fractured it. Does the continued pain mean that it s healing? My doctor just says that these things take time but I am wondering if the fracute is non union and where I go from here. I can not afford to be out of work long term any help or answers would be helpfull.
Thanks

Sep 05, 2009
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Jones Fracture
by: Anonymous

I hurt my foot about a year ago had a jones fracture and my doctor decided to do surgery cause I am a basketball player and wanted to get back as soon as I could so I had a screw inserted and went back after 8 weeks and still had pain and its been about a year and I still have pain sometimes and soreness. Does anyone have any advice on what to do? I finally told my doc it felt fine cause I was so tired of going back he told me the same stuff.

Oct 21, 2009
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Jones Fracture 101
by: Todd from TX

I first injured my right foot playing basketball 2 years ago and was misdianosed for the first 6 weeks to wear a walking boot as having a slight sprain. As the pain never went away an MRI was ordered to find I had a Jones fracture. After several weeks of non weight bearing the pain went away.

I now have a severe Jones Fracture on the same foot and needless to say I had to shop around for a better foot specialist. This time I was perscribed an intense surgury that required a bone graph, 6 little screws and a tiny titanium plate. Post operation requires non weight bearing for 6 weeks, daily bone graph stimulation and Lyrica for the nerve pain.

My advice for anyone that still has pain after a Jones Fracture: Ask your doctor for an MRI of your 5th medatorsal. It's posible you will need more doctors care. You also may want to try a bone graph stimulator for bone growth.