Foot Fracture Surgery
FOOT FRACTURE SURGERY
FOOT FRACTURE SURGERY
There are 26 bones in each of your feet, all of which can break. There are several different types of fractures:
● Non-displaced: The bone breaks but stays in place
● Displaced: The bone breaks into two pieces that move apart from one another
● Comminuted: The bone is broken in multiple places
● Open fracture: The bone breaks through the skin after fracturing
If you injure your foot, your foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon will take X-rays to see if you have a broken bone. X-rays will identify most fractures but some smaller and more subtle fractures may require CT or MRI scans. Not all fractures require surgery, and your surgeon will help determine how your fracture should be treated.
If you need surgery for your foot fracture, the goals are to restore the fractured bone to its correct position, stabilize the bone in this position, encourage healing, restore function, and reduce the risk of future problems such as persistent pain, loss of motion, and arthritis.
SURGERY
Foot fracture surgery involves making an incision in the skin centered over the fractured bone. The bone is then exposed so the orthopaedic surgeon can see the fracture. The fractured bone fragments are realigned as well as possible and secured with implants such as pins, wires, screws, and plates. After stabilizing the fracture your surgeon will stitch the incision closed, apply a sterile bandage, and place your foot in a cast, splint, boot, or post-operative shoe.
With some fractures, the surgeon can restore the alignment of the fractured bone without a large incision. In this method, the fracture is fixed with appropriate implants through one or more small incisions. This is called a percutaneous fracture fixation. The advantages of this technique include smaller incisions, less trauma to the tissues, less disruption of the blood supply to the bone, and less pain after surgery.
COMPLICATIONS
All surgeries come with possible complications, including the risks associated with anesthesia, infection, damage to nerves and blood vessels, and bleeding or blood clots. To minimize the risk for blood clots, you may be placed on aspirin or a blood thinning medication for several weeks after surgery. Unfortunately, even when on these medications, blood clots can occur post-operatively.
Potential complications of foot fracture surgery include wound breakdown, failure of the fracture to heal (nonunion), fracture healing in a bad position (malunion), loss of fracture alignment prior to healing, implant failure, persistent pain, loss of motion, and arthritis.
Foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeons are uniquely qualified to identify and treat fractures of the foot and should be your first resource when you experience a foot injury.
Information provided by American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) via FootCareMD.com