A metatarsal fracture can be very bad or even minor.
Most metatarsal fractures are minor and heal very well and allow you to return to your normal activities.
Some metatarsal fractures can be more serious and if left untreated the more serious metatarsal fracture can cause long term problems like arthritis, deformity of your foot and chronic pain.
A metatarsal fracture is a broken bone in the front of your foot.
A metatarsal neck fracture takes between 8 to 12 weeks to fully heal depending on how severe the metatarsal neck fracture heals.
Minor metatarsal neck fractures may heal within 6 weeks and others take up to 8 to 12 weeks to fully heal.
A metatarsal neck fracture is a break in the narrow "neck" section of one of your metatarsal bones in your foot.
The metatarsal bones in your foot are the bones that connect your ankle to your toes.
An injury that causes a metatarsal neck fracture are often direct trauma to the foot such as from dropping a heavy object on your foot, kicking something hard or twisting your foot forcefully.
This can cause the metatarsal neck bone in the foot to fracture and cause swelling and pain in the forefoot area.
The neck of the metatarsal bone is also the narrowest part that is located just before the ball of your foot.
The most affected bone is the fifth metatarsal bone which is the most commonly fractured metatarsal bone.
Treatments for a metatarsal neck fracture include wearing a cast or walking boot, with limited weight bearing for several weeks as the fracture heals.
And in more severe cases where significant displacement occurred, surgery may be required to realign the bones and to also stabilize them using pins or screws while they heal.
Most cases of metatarsal neck fractures often affect more than one your metatarsal bones and are caused by dropping a weight on the instep, kicking or loading when on tiptoe.
Most cases of broken metatarsals can heal without surgery.
Although you still might need a special shoe, boot, or cast.
Your doctor will also tell you how much weight you can put on your foot as it heals.
As the metatarsal bone heals in eight to twelve weeks, the pain will get better.
If the pain does not get better you should see a doctor about it and let your doctor know.