A Tarsal fracture is a break of any of the tarsal bones in the foot.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Chaminda Goonetilleke, 20th Jan. 2022
Tarsal fracture symptoms
Acute tarsal fractures occur as a result of severe force or trauma to the foot. Symptoms include:
- Sudden pain at the time of injury.
- Difficulty bearing weight.
- Loss of function of your foot.
- Tenderness over a specific area, depending on which bone has fractured.
- You may also have deformity.
If you pain is more gradual and worse during weight-bearing, then it is more likely you have stress fracture.
Anatomy
The Tarsal bones are seven bones in the middle of the foot.
They consist of the Calcaneus, Cuboid, Navicular, Talus, and three Cuneiform bones. They connect to the long metatarsal foot bones.
Treatment of an acute Tarsal fracture
For a traumatic fracture, most patients will have to wear a cast for around 6 weeks, and must not put weight on the foot during this time.
For stress fractures, a walking boot or just crutches may be issued to reduce the weight on the foot.
Internal fixation surgery is possible if the bone is too unstable to heal on its own, but it is usually not recommended.
