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Suggest Treatment For Fracture In The 5th Metatarsal Bone
Question: I was in Uganda on Business Trip. Foot went inside and twisted. Caused a fracture in 5th metatarsal bone. The incident happened on 25-May-2016, immediately I visited local hospital in Kampala, Uganda. After the X-Ray doctor found there was a fracture in the base of 5th meta-tarsal on my left foot. So he prescribed me below:-
1) Diclomol SR --> Everyday 1 tablet after food.
2) FASTUM gel (ketoprofen 2.5%) --> Daily 2 times in the fracture area.
3) WALKER BOOT & a pair of ELBOW Crutches for movement (asked to use for 2 weeks)
After this accident my Uganda office asked me to flyback home and takes rest. So I cameback home yesterday (30-05-2016) from Uganda to XXXXXXX after a 24 hours long journey.
After coming back home I did a X-Ray again in our local pathology center. And to my understanding the fracture is increased a bit (It’s purely my understanding looking at the X-Ray picture).
P.S:-
1) I am not moving much. Walking just when I need to go to the washroom.
2) I still work from home using laptop sitting on my sofa ,keeping my leg on the floor or sometimes on the chair.
3) Every day I remove the walker shoe once, during taking bath. That time I just keep support on my left leg (broken leg)’s ankle & right foot bear the main load.
Questions:-
1) Is this something serious that I might need to go for operation?
Or just a rest of 2 more weeks will be fine?
2) Should I need to take some medicine like calcium etc for speedy recovery?
3) Doctor didn’t advice for any icepack. Do I need to give icepack now?
4) What kind of foods will help me for speedy recovery?
5) What things are strictly no no for me?
1) Diclomol SR --> Everyday 1 tablet after food.
2) FASTUM gel (ketoprofen 2.5%) --> Daily 2 times in the fracture area.
3) WALKER BOOT & a pair of ELBOW Crutches for movement (asked to use for 2 weeks)
After this accident my Uganda office asked me to flyback home and takes rest. So I cameback home yesterday (30-05-2016) from Uganda to XXXXXXX after a 24 hours long journey.
After coming back home I did a X-Ray again in our local pathology center. And to my understanding the fracture is increased a bit (It’s purely my understanding looking at the X-Ray picture).
P.S:-
1) I am not moving much. Walking just when I need to go to the washroom.
2) I still work from home using laptop sitting on my sofa ,keeping my leg on the floor or sometimes on the chair.
3) Every day I remove the walker shoe once, during taking bath. That time I just keep support on my left leg (broken leg)’s ankle & right foot bear the main load.
Questions:-
1) Is this something serious that I might need to go for operation?
Or just a rest of 2 more weeks will be fine?
2) Should I need to take some medicine like calcium etc for speedy recovery?
3) Doctor didn’t advice for any icepack. Do I need to give icepack now?
4) What kind of foods will help me for speedy recovery?
5) What things are strictly no no for me?
Brief Answer:
Needs 6 weeks of mobilisation minimum. Calcium and Vitamin D helps
Detailed Answer:
Hi there.
Thanks for the query.
Usually fracture needs to be immobilised for 6 weeks for chance of healing.
Since only 5 days have elapsed between the serial xrays it is impossible to comment on the healing. Atleast 15 days gap need to exist to comment on healing. Do get an Xray on the 10th of XXXXXXX This shall help to decide if the fracture is healing.
You can take calcium supplements with Vitamin D. They will definitely help in speeding fracture healing.
Ice pack is important to reduce pain and inflammation for the first 4-5 days after injury. Now not needed if you do not have local rise in temperature of swelling. Do keep the limb elevated though.
Eat diet rich in calcium, vitamins like eggs, yoghurt, lean meat, fish, pulses. Keep well hydrated.
Avoid excessive pressure on the injured area, running, exercising with the legs, cross leg sitting. It is important to immobilise the fracture for 6 weeks in my opinion. Then an Xray can be taken to see the healing stage.
I hope I have answered your query.
I will be available to answer your follow up queries.
Regards,
Dr. Aashish Raghu
Needs 6 weeks of mobilisation minimum. Calcium and Vitamin D helps
Detailed Answer:
Hi there.
Thanks for the query.
Usually fracture needs to be immobilised for 6 weeks for chance of healing.
Since only 5 days have elapsed between the serial xrays it is impossible to comment on the healing. Atleast 15 days gap need to exist to comment on healing. Do get an Xray on the 10th of XXXXXXX This shall help to decide if the fracture is healing.
You can take calcium supplements with Vitamin D. They will definitely help in speeding fracture healing.
Ice pack is important to reduce pain and inflammation for the first 4-5 days after injury. Now not needed if you do not have local rise in temperature of swelling. Do keep the limb elevated though.
Eat diet rich in calcium, vitamins like eggs, yoghurt, lean meat, fish, pulses. Keep well hydrated.
Avoid excessive pressure on the injured area, running, exercising with the legs, cross leg sitting. It is important to immobilise the fracture for 6 weeks in my opinion. Then an Xray can be taken to see the healing stage.
I hope I have answered your query.
I will be available to answer your follow up queries.
Regards,
Dr. Aashish Raghu
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Thanks doctor for your quick response.. Here are my follow up questions:-
1) Can I keep my leg on floor(downwards) when I sitted in a chair for long.
2) Can I sleep in freefall posture for sometime keeping my injured leg with boot outside of the bed? Specially when I am watching a movie on laptop on my bed.
3) Now I sleep with the boot.. Is that fine? I belong from XXXXXXX its very humid here, I feel bit uncomfortable to sleep with it.
4) Please provide me the calcium & vitamine D medicine names & how to take them.
5) Shall I need to get a cast on my leg or the walker boot is okay (I already attached picture of my boot & Crutches).
1) Can I keep my leg on floor(downwards) when I sitted in a chair for long.
2) Can I sleep in freefall posture for sometime keeping my injured leg with boot outside of the bed? Specially when I am watching a movie on laptop on my bed.
3) Now I sleep with the boot.. Is that fine? I belong from XXXXXXX its very humid here, I feel bit uncomfortable to sleep with it.
4) Please provide me the calcium & vitamine D medicine names & how to take them.
5) Shall I need to get a cast on my leg or the walker boot is okay (I already attached picture of my boot & Crutches).
Brief Answer:
Keep elevated. Sleep with crepe bandage. Shelcal once a day. No need cast
Detailed Answer:
Occasionally you can keep the foot down. Avoid prolonged period of dangling the foot down as this can lead to swelling.
No problem in keeping injured leg outside the bed but just avoid undue or excessive pressure on the injured region.
It is not important to wear the boot while sleeping. Instead you could wrap a crepe bandage around your foot and ankle while sleeping.
Take Tablet Shelcal CT once a day in the afternoon after lunch for 2 months.
No need to get cast as long as you don't put weight on the naked foot, without the boot.
Keep elevated. Sleep with crepe bandage. Shelcal once a day. No need cast
Detailed Answer:
Occasionally you can keep the foot down. Avoid prolonged period of dangling the foot down as this can lead to swelling.
No problem in keeping injured leg outside the bed but just avoid undue or excessive pressure on the injured region.
It is not important to wear the boot while sleeping. Instead you could wrap a crepe bandage around your foot and ankle while sleeping.
Take Tablet Shelcal CT once a day in the afternoon after lunch for 2 months.
No need to get cast as long as you don't put weight on the naked foot, without the boot.
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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