Fracture of heel

The heel bone is the largest foot formation and one of the most durable in the human body. Therefore, heel fracture is extremely rare and is only 4% of all cases of bone structure damage. As a rule, it happens due to a fall or a jump from a height, provided that it lands on straight legs. Less often the cause of injury is a stroke or excess pressure.

Species and symptoms of a heel fracture

The following types of damage are considered:

1. A simple fracture. At the same time there are no displacements, changes in the tissues of the joints, ligaments and tendons.
2. A fracture of moderate severity. There are displaced bone fragments, but the joints are not damaged.
3. Severe fracture. In addition to the displacement of bone fragments, joints are deformed, the integrity of the tendons and ligaments is impaired.

The most dangerous variant of the described injury is a fragmentary heel fracture with a displacement.

Symptomatic of damage is characterized by such signs:

• intense pain;
• impossibility to step on a broken heel;
• hematoma in the middle of the sole;
• swelling;
• expansion, flattening of the heel.

Despite such obvious clinical manifestations, some patients are unaware of a heel fracture on the background of other injuries after falling from a height (spine, muscles, joints). In addition, the mobility of the ankle remains.

Heel fracture treatment

Therapy of the described trauma should be carried out individually, in accordance with the severity and nature of the damage, the presence of concomitant disorders of the joints.

The basis of treatment consists in the repositioning of broken bone fragments, if any, and rigid fixation with a langet or plaster band for a period of 2-3 months. Any load on the foot after a heel fracture during this period is completely excluded. The victim can only move using crutches, relying on a healthy leg.

Rehabilitation after a heel fracture

Recovery is extremely important in the treatment of such a complex and dangerous injury. Therefore, rehabilitation is developed individually for each patient and consists of a set of the following impacts:

• gymnastics for the development of foot joints;
• massage;
• phonophoresis ;
• warming up;
• electrophoresis;
• low-frequency laser irradiation;
• water procedures.

In addition, nutrition should be properly organized, enriching the diet with foods high in protein, calcium , and silicon.