how long should a moon boot be worn with a stress fracture in 2nd and 4th metatarsals?

Question

Can a stress fracture of the 2nd metatarasal take longer than 9 weeks to heal? I've been in a walking boot for 9+ weeks but still have pain and swelling

Answer 1

I would start with : Two weeks and reevaluate.

Answer 2

No specific time: Need x-rays to determine the healing of bone but an average would be 6-8 weeks

Answer 3

You can't.: A stress fracture creates a weak area in the bone that can, with additional stress and without warning, propagate completely through the bone and even displace. Depending on the location of the fracture, this can have serious consequences increasing significantly the length of recovery, frequently necessitating surgery, and sometimes threatening one's future athletic participation.

Answer 4

Stress fracture : If its in your feet it needs to be treated its costing you everyday you do not treat it i would see a specialist like a podiatrist if its in your foot , these usually take 6 weeks to heal when they are treated.

Answer 5

HOW LONG.....: Until it heals on its own, or evolves into a complete fracture where you can't walk/play anymore. It's a roll of the dice.

Answer 6

Stress Fracture: Not all stress fractures are the same. I would recommend going to the doctor for evaluation that would include a detailed history as well as imaging studies. Stress fractures notoriously take a long time to heal depending on severity, location, chronicity. Some will not heal on their own, some will require surgery. Most importantly, determining the cause is essential to prevent recurrence.

Answer 7

It depends: If you know that your bone is fractured, you should see a doctor! if it is in the realm of a stress reaction, you may be able to heal with rest, but listen to your body and pay attention to pain. If pain does not get consistently better, go see your doctor.

Answer 8

Cast shoe and rest!: This depends on where the fracture is located. In my practice i advise elevation, rest and Motrin as well as ice in the immediate phase. I also always refer to a podiatrist as they are expert in the causes and treatment of this condition.

Answer 9

Xray: An xray may show a fracture. If not, and there is a high clinical suspicion, an MRI or nuclear bone scan can be helpful.

Answer 10

Bone scan: Bone scan can show stress fracture before it is seen on x-ray.

Answer 11

H+P FIRST: A good H+P to start. Then x-rays. If negative, bone scan or MRI? The latter has at least equal sensitivity to the scan, and has higher specificity. But, it costs more; might have insurance approval problems.

Answer 12

Exam, X-ray and MRI: An thorough examination starting with a detailed history will uncover most stress fractures. Patients complain of pain directly over the area of injury. A tibial stress fracture is tender to touch, and pain is increasingly worse with activities involving increased weight bearing (running, jumping, pivoting, and even walking). X-rays and MRI provide documentation of stress fracture degree/location.

Answer 13

Symptoms and Imaging: Stress fractures usually cause pain, but may also cause swelling and discoloration. The nature of stress fractures can make them very hard to identify on x-rays, but some may be apparent based on their size or phase in healing. Larger stress fractures or those that have had some to start healing are often the ones that can be seen with x-ray. The most specific test for a stress fracture is a mri.

Answer 14

May need mri: Many stress fractures don't show up on xray exams if there is suspicion of a possible stress fracture, an MRI would best show the injury a bone scan would be helpful but is not as specific for location as the MRI would be.

Answer 15

Bone scan...: Bone scan is often helpful. Results may be positive for stress fracture on bone scan before x-ray turns positive.

Answer 16

Rest: Usually about 6 weeks, but you need to rest the fractured extremity or the pain and fracture will persist.

how long should a moon boot be worn with a stress fracture in 2nd and 4th metatarsals?

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