Crush Fractures

This past week a women was injured by the beverage cart on a major airline. She was told that she needed to keep her foot out of the aisle, but the beverage cart still hit her. She reportedly has a cut on the top of her foot and will need to have surgery for the injury.

Crush injures can happen in many different ways. You can drop something on your foot, something can step on your foot, or a cart could roll over your foot. Regardless of the source of the injury, the outcome can be a wide range of symptoms depending upon the force of the object and what your foot was on. For instance, if a horse was to step on your foot on a dirt arena, it would have a very different impact than if it stepped on your foot in a pile of hay. Symptoms can range from bruising and swelling, to a cut like this woman or even to broken or shattered bones. Regardless of what the injury looks like, if you are in a great deal of pain, it is important for you to go and see your local podiatrist to have your foot examined. There are many anatomical structures within your foot that can be damaged and they can be fixed best if immediate medical attention is sought.

Once you arrive at the doctor’s office, they will take images of your foot to determine what kind of damage has been done. If no internal damage is found, then you may be given some pain relievers to help with the discomfort and swelling. If it is found though that a bone has been broken, then it is important to assess the type of break and proceed from there. In many instances, your foot can be immobilized with a cast and by keeping pressure off of your foot, your bones will be able to heal in no time. However, in instances such as a shattered bone, surgical intervention will be required to reconstruct your bone and get you back on your feet again.

If you live in the North Andover, Methuen, Lowell or Bradford Massachusetts area and you sustain a crush injury of your foot, our staff would be more than happy to see you and determine the best treatment plan for you.