I am a 43yo male and fractured the fifth metatarsal of my left foot 4 weeks ago. swelling is still massive and xrays yesterday show no signs of healing. should i still have massive swelling after 4 weeks, and why has it not started to heal

I : I assume you're in a cast, and since bone takes 6-8 weeks to heal and it's only been 4 weeks, i wouldn't expect it to have healed by now. I'm also confused as to how you're even aware of all the swelling you're having if you're in a cast. If you're not in a cast, perhaps you should be. There are different kinds of fractures involving the 5th metatarsal, the most common of which is an avulsion fracture, where a piece of bone is pulled off from the bottom of the bone during an inversion type injury, where your foot turned inward. Fractures of this sort require a cast, otherwise, with every step you take walking on the thing, the tendon that inserts into the base of the 5th metatarsal keeps pulling the bone fragments away from each other, preventing healing. This could explain all the swelling you're having as well as why it shows no sign of healing. Hope this helps. Feel better.

Rest?: First, where is the fracture? Certain 5th metatarsal fractures are notorious for poor healing. Are you walking on it? Was a cast or boot applied. Swelling and lack of healing after 4 weeks isn't alarming, but it it's a sign that you might want to take treatment seriously. Fractures heal best when there isn't constant motion across them. If it isn't healed in 12 weeks, try a bone stimulator.