A Jones fracture is a break between the base and shaft of the fifth metatarsal bone in the foot. It is the long bone on the outside of the foot that is connected to the baby toe. This fracture is one of the most common for the foot, and it can be quite severe. The area between the base and the shaft where this injury occurs receive very little blood supply compared to the rest of the foot. The body needs blood to bring nutrients meaning that this part of the body is hard to heal. It can be caused by repetitive overuse or by a sudden acute hit.
Anatomy of Jones Fracture
The jones fractures happen to the fifth metatarsal. The metatarsals connect the base of the foot to the ankle and the toes on the other end. The fifth metatarsal has a slight bulge on the conclusion that the other bones of the foot do not have. The bones help you to balance when standing and walking. The issue with them is that they get a lot of use throughout the day even by nonathletes. The bones are very easy to overuse because of this.
Symptoms of a Jones Fracture
- Difficulty walking
- Lack of stability in the foot
- Bruising on outside of the foot
- Swelling on outside of the foot
The types of fractures you can suffer within jones fracture includes avulsion fractures, shaft fractures, and spiral fractures. Avulsion fractures are when a tendon gets stretched and pulls a piece of bone off with it. In this case, the fracture would be the results of a bad ankle sprain.
Spiral fractures occur when one has torque placed on it from twisting. These types of fractures can be volatile and cause displacement.
When any of these injuries have occurred, it is in your best interest to seek medical attention right away. You do not want to be walking around on a broken foot hoping that it heals itself. Even if it does heal on its own, it could heal incorrectly and need to be broken again to be fixed.
Diagnosis of Jones Fracture
Once you decide to see the appropriate health care provider they are going to go through some steps to figure out exactly what is going on with your foot. Due to the lack of blood in the area, it is a hard injury to heal, so it is important that you get the proper care.
Healthcare Provider Will:
- Ask about the medical history
- Figure out when the pain started
- Listen to what you have done to help the problem so far
- Do a physical evaluation by moving your ankle and toes
- Record different pain points for records
- Apply pressure to different points
- Take an X-ray of the foot
Treatment and Recovery of Jones Fracture
One of the first things you can do for a Jones Fracture before even seeing a doctor is to begin resting. You want to stay off of the foot as much as possible. If you’re going to heal as quick as possible, the body needs to be given a chance to do so. The second thing you can do if you are experiencing a lot of pain is taking a painkiller and ice the injury spot. It is important to note that neither of these will make the injury better, they will help with managing pain.
A doctor will most likely immobilize the foot with a boot and or put you on crutches to help provide the foot with the rest that it needs. The injury takes a while to heal and sometimes you need to stay in the cast longer than expected. There are instances where it may be easier to get the surgery.
Many doctors will recommend the surgery since the bone often is so slow to heal. The surgery will mend the bone quickly with a rode and or screw. The incision for this injury is so small that you just need a local anesthetic to go under the knife. The surgeon will use an X-ray to ensure accuracy of screw placement.
The biggest problem with this fracture is a percentage of people the bone will just no heal. It may need surgery or even repeated surgeries to finally come together.
Overview of Jones Fracture
The Jones fracture is not a good injury to take care of on your own. If this were an article on shin splints, we would say go for it on your own. With a Jones Fracture, you will be frustrated due to the how long it takes to heal. The lack of patients most people have will lead to another injury or a bone that is never the same again. The best thing you can do is work with a health care provider from day one if you are serious about being healthy again.
Finding The Best Local Sports Medicine Providers for the AC Joint
9INE POINT Health is the best place to start your search for a health care provider to help you stay healthy. The key to success as an athlete is staying healthy and making sure the injuries are dealt with appropriately. Any athlete in a contact sport is at more risk of a Jones Fracture, and the key to success as an athlete is staying healthy.
9INE POINT Health lets you search for providers by type and skill. For example, you can look for a Physical Therapist with the capability of the Graston Technique. It does not matter what kind of provider you need, 9INE POINT Health can help you find them and help you to sort through their skills.
If you are unsure where to start your journey, 9INE POINT Health will ask you questions and help you figure out the best starting place. All you have to do is answer a few questions. From there 9INE POINT Health will connect you with the type of provider best suited for your needs. It does not matter if you are injured or making sure you don’t run into Jones Fracture issues.
The platform makes it easy to compare health providers as they are all given a 9INE POINT Number. How do you decide which healthcare providers are the best? Reading bios and reviews is just not enough because you need more than that.
Skill Sets to Look for In Sports Medicine Providers
Skill sets are the things healthcare providers learn after they graduate. A healthcare provider can take courses and get certifications for different skill sets. These skill sets are valuable and help them approach injuries from different perspectives so that you can get the best help at the right time for any Jones Fracture.
- Dry needling
- Acupuncture
- Joint Manipulation
- Active Release Technique
- Graston Technique
- Functional Movement Screen
- Fascial Stretching
- Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Athletic Trainer
- Sports Background
- And many more
KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
