

Sometimes physical therapy is prescribed to help with motion and weight bearing once the bone heals. You will likely be immobilized in a well-padded splint. While your broken calcaneus is healing, you will not be able to put weight on your foot. The bone fragments are put back into the right place, and metal plates and screws are used to fit and hold the bone pieces back together until your bone heals.įigure 7: A tension type calcaneus fracture that has been realigned and fixed with screws. If surgery is needed, an incision, or "cut," is generally made along the outside part of your foot over the heel bone.
Calcaneus fracture skin#
Surgery is almost always required if the bone came through your skin or is close to breaking through the skin. non-surgical treatment with an orthopaedic surgeon. You should discuss your specific injury and the advantages of surgery vs. Surgery may be also be needed to address changes in the shape of your bone: typically flattening, widening, or the bone has shifted into a bad position. The subtalar joint lets your foot move from side to side, as compared to the ankle joint, which moves your ankle up and down. Calcaneus fractures that benefit from surgery often involve breaks within the subtalar joint (the joint just below your ankle joint). If surgery is not needed, there will still be a time where movement and weight bearing is limited. The broken bone will take 3-4 months to heal with or without surgery. Some, but not all, calcaneus fractures require surgery.

In this case you may be admitted to the hospital immediately for surgery. This may mean more urgent surgery is required. Sometimes the break is so displaced that the broken bone is pressing from the inside on the skin around the heel. This is because surgery is often delayed until the swelling goes down, which can take up to several weeks. People typically do not need to be admitted to the hospital for an isolated calcaneus fracture. You should make an appointment with an orthopaedist or your primary care doctor for follow-up. Usually you will be placed into a very well-padded splint, boot, or partial cast to help protect the broken bone from further injury. Often, they will obtain a CT scan of the heel bone as well, to get a better look at the broken bone. Your doctor will examine your heel and foot, and get an x-ray to see if it is broken or not. The broken bone and swelling may cause you to feel throbbing where the bone is broken. Initial TreatmentĬalcaneus fractures usually hurt and get very swollen right after the injury.
Calcaneus fracture archive#

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