Can I Have A Fracture Without Even Knowing It?

With the bones in our skeleton, the more complex the motion, often the more complicated the structure is to make it work. This is especially true of your feet, the workhorses at the lowest part of our bodies making all upright movement possible, which has a complex network of 26 bones along with 19 muscles, 107 ligaments, and 33 joints to perform the movements we often take for granted.

Foot injuries are certainly common, and many of them lead to fractures or breaks in the bones and joints in that area. Those problems usually come with symptoms to signal something’s wrong, but is it possible to have fractures in those bones and not be aware of it? How would you know something’s wrong, and what could you do about it?

If you live in the Fort Worth or Weatherford, Texas area and you’re dealing with foot problems, Drs. Glen Beede, Gary Jaryga, and their medical team at Trinity Foot & Ankle Specialists can help.

Common foot fractures

Whether or not you immediately feel the pain of a fractured bone is down to the type of damage and the severity. With feet, these are the typical problems that affect bones and joints:

Sports injury

Damage to bones caused by falls, accidents, and impact from sports (jumping and running), having something dropped on your foot, and blunt force trauma can lead to this type of injury.

Stress injury

The result of repetitive motion or overuse injuries that stress bones and joints, leading to wear and tear that damages over time. Medical conditions that weaken bone, like osteoporosis, can also cause these cracks in your foot.

Problems with knowing if it’s broken

Because they happen gradually, stress fractures are the type of fracture most likely not to show symptoms to begin with, making it possible for you to have it and not know it. These cracks in the bone can start very small and grow until any pain sets in, and other symptoms like bruising and swelling can also take time to appear.

Another possible problem is that fractures and bone bruises may appear with similar signs. A bone bruise (also known as a bone contusion) is when trauma to the bone causes microfractures that can only be seen through medical imaging. They can also cause blood pooling (hematoma) and swelling between the bone and cartilage in a joint.

Signs to look for

Eventually, minor foot fractures worsen and show symptoms if not treated properly. If you’re dealing with mild discomfort in your feet, get them looked at to ensure there isn’t any damage to the bone. As problems worsen, here’s what you should look for:

• Increased pain
• Problems putting your weight on the foot
• Swelling or bruising
• Crunching sounds when moving your foot
• Range of motion problems if it affects the bones in the joints

Bone fractures and breaks often have clear signs that you need help, but trying to determine what’s wrong is not always that straightforward. If there are any signs of foot problems, make an appointment with Drs. Beede, Jaryga and Trinity Foot & Ankle Specialists today to treat minor issues before they get worse.