What is the most common fracture of the foot?

The most common fracture of the foot is a stress fracture. This type of fracture is normally associated with high-impact activities, such as running, athletics and dancing. While these activities have a high rate of stress fractures, they also happen frequently to people from all walks of life.

Symptoms of stress fractures include pain when walking that is alleviated with rest, swelling of the top of the foot or ankle, bruising and a dull pain where the fracture occurs.

Stress fractures are hard to detect by x-ray but are relatively easy to treat. Doctors normally recommend that elevating the foot, using ice and resting so that the bone can heal. It usually takes two weeks before normal weight can be placed on a healing stress fracture and it can take up to eight weeks to heal completely.