Calcaneus (Heel Bone) Fractures

Prevention

Reduce your risk.

Since these fractures mostly result from falling or motor vehicle injuries, prevention is limited. Stress fractures—injuries that could be caused from twisting motion—can be prevented by strength training and stretching. Certain types of footwear, such as high heels or even running barefoot, can attribute to these fractures, too.

Symptoms

Pinpoint your pain.

Patients with calcaneus fractures usually experience:

• Pain
• Bruising
• Swelling
• Heel deformity
• Inability to put weight on heel or walk

With some minor calcaneus fractures, the pain may not be enough to prevent you from walking—but you may limp. This is because your Achilles tendon acts through the calcaneus to support your body weight. If, however, your calcaneus is deformed by the injury, your muscle and tendon cannot generate enough power to support your weight. Your foot and ankle will feel unstable, and you will walk differently.

Diagnosis

Get the answers you need.

After discussing your symptoms and medical history, your doctor will perform a careful examination. He or she will examine your foot and ankle to see if your skin was damaged or punctured from the injury, and then check your pulse at key points of the foot to be sure that there is a good blood supply to the foot and toes. Your doctor will also check to see if you can move your toes, and can feel things on the bottom of your foot. Our foot and ankle experts use advanced diagnostic testing during examinations to determine the extent of the injury.

Treatment

Life’s too short to put up with pain.

Your doctor will consider several factors in planning your treatment, including the cause of your injury, your overall health, the severity of your injury and the extent of soft tissue damage. To restore function and the heel’s original dimensions, Dr. Rappaport may recommend:

• Nonsurgical treatment. If the bones have not shifted out of place, temporary immobilization devices, such as a cast, may be used.
• Surgical treatment. When the bones are displaced, patients may require:
  • Ankle Fusion. In traumatic fractures where the cartilage is severely damaged, the calcaneus bone will be fused to the joint to stabilize the foot for walking.
  • Reduction. Use small incisions to correct bone displacement, then insert screws and metal plates to keep the heel bone in place.