Stress Fracture Metatarsal Symptoms

Why Stress Fracture is Common in Sportspersons
Fans of professional rugby player, Richard Blaze, were disappointed over news that he was retiring due to stress fracture. Blaze, who played for Leicester, had to call it quits after doctors advised him that his feet would not be able to stand the stress of full time rugby. His retirement comes at a young age of 25.

Across the continent, in the US, John Henderson, the Oakland Raiders player, was ruled out of football for a minimum of three weeks, after doctors diagnosed a right foot stress fracture. Raiders coach announced in October 2010 that Henderson, one of the best defenders of the team, may need up to six weeks for complete recovery.

In Bangladesh, as the New Zealand cricket team started a limited overs series on October 5, 2010 with the host country, they were forced to leave behind Scott Styris, a valued all round cricket player as he was suffering from a stress fracture on his lower back.

All round the year, in a range of sports, we keep hearing news of stress fractures to sportspersons, forcing them to take extended sabbaticals, or to abandon the sport altogether.

What are stress fractures and what makes sportspersons so susceptible to it? This article takes a look at these questions and also explores symptoms and the recovery process.

What is a Stress Fracture?

Prolonged and excessive use or pressure in a particular area in the feet or lower back can result in a slight crack in the related bone. This condition is described as a stress fracture because continuous stress to the specific bone contributes to a slight fracture. While the muscles in the area would have normally absorbed the impact of too much use, at some point the muscles themselves wear out and can’t absorb the impact anymore. Then the impact is felt on the bone, resulting in a fracture.

Stress fractures most commonly occur on the bones of the feet, lower leg, shins and in the lower back region.

Factors Causing Stress Fractures in Sportspersons

Some factors, which make sports professionals prone to stress fracture, are:

Intensity of practice or play - Sportspersons take part in a single sport activity such as tennis, football, cricket or gymnastics very intensively. They train to excel in their particular sports, be it athletics or football, very intensively, from a very young age.
Repeated impact - The repeated and high-impact use of certain areas such as feet in running on artificial surfaces, kicking a ball or jumping ensures that their feet and limbs face shock and impact constantly. It has been found that sport activities, where the feet are continuously hitting a hard ground, place professionals and sportsperson in high risk of getting foot stress fractures.
Prolonged use of muscles – Playing tennis or football from a very young age finally causes the muscle to wear out and get fatigued, leaving the bones to absorb the shock of any impact.
Weak bones – Decrease in bone density can occur due to various reasons. While some medicine intake may cause loss in bone density, female athletes having hormonal irregularities may also have weakened bones or osteoporosis. Studies have shown that female athletes are more susceptible than males to bone-related injuries.

Foot Stress Fractures – Metatarsal Stress Fracture

Our feet have different types of bones such as

Tarsal bones – these are the bones at the back or middle of the feet.
Phalanges – these are the bones in the toes of our feet.
Metatarsal bones – these are 5 long bones located between the Tarsal bones and Phalanges. Each Metatarsal bone connects to a corresponding Phalange in a foot toe. Counting from the big toe, each bone is named first Metatarsal, second Metatarsal and so on.

It has been found that in foot stress fractures, Metatarsal stress fracture of the second and third Metatarsal is the most common among athletes. Some studies also include the first Metatarsal as a common site for Metatarsal stress fracture.

A Metatarsal stress fracture was originally associated with marching army men. That’s why it’s also called a March fracture. In sports, marathon runners as well as short distance runners commonly have this type of stress fracture.

What are Stress Fracture Symptoms?

Stress fracture symptoms in sports professionals can be:

Pain in the affected area - There may be mild pain initially indicating stress fractures while using the foot or back, which can progress to pain through out the foot. Some sportspersons ignore pain and continue to play after taking pain killers. This can cause aggravation leading to broken bones.
Swelling – The area such as foot where the stress injury has occurred may swell. There may also be discolouration in the swollen area.

Recovery Process for Sportspersons with Stress Fracture

Any sportsperson with the above stress facture symptoms should immediately see a doctor who may do a bone scan. In the case of foot stress fractures, the doctor may put the leg in a cast to relieve the pressure on legs.

Physiotherapists, sports medicine practitioners and orthopaedic groups such as the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons advise the following course of recovery from stress fractures:

Resting the affected area – The rest period may go up to several weeks depending upon the severity.
Keeping the foot raised – Resting the foot on a raised level can help reduce pain.
Using crutches during recovery period – Pressure on the leg can be eased by having it in a cast and using crutches to move around.
Aquatic fitness routine – Before returning to intensive sports, aquatic exercises can be tried out, which do not place pressures on joints and bones.

For sportspersons, injuries, such as a stress fracture, are an occupational hazard. With precautions and patient recovery procedures, they can heal from their injuries to make a strong comeback.

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