Cuboid Fracture
How To Recognize A Cuboid Fracture
A cubiod fracture usually happens from a crushing severe blow to the mid foot area. But these types of injuries can also be associated with other injuries that happened during the same accident. A cuboid fracture can have an impact on the entire foot and because of its location can cause permanent life long damage to the foot area.
Ankle sprains and spurs are sometimes misdiagnosed for a cuboid fracture. It is a part of the lateral column of the foot and controls nearly all of the mobility and motion in the foot. So it is easy to understand why this single condition can affect the whole foot area.
These types of injuries can cause extreme pain, swelling and a discoloration of the foot. The foot can also appear to be misshapen and a doctor may have to do an X-ray to see exactly were the injury is. But the patient with a cuboid fracture will always complain that they cannot stand because the foot is not able to hold up any weight.
Very active people who put a lot of pressure on the mid foot area like athletes or ballet dancers can get a cuboid fracture from repetitive actions. This usually happens by a pushing off of the lateral area. Over time the foot becomes affected and the repetitive action will have to stop before the foot can become healed. Since this type of injury is not because of blunt force it is considered a stress injury the way it is treated is different from the usual cuboid fracture.
When it comes to treatment the severity of the injury can have everything to do with a cure. If the lateral column of the foot is not out of place or crushed, the doctor may simply suggest that the patient stay off of the foot for a few weeks. If the injury is more severe a person may need to wear a medical boot. These boots are not like casts because they can be removed. They are only used so that the patient can walk without pain until the injury heals. When any dislocation of the lateral column happens the doctors may put a cast on the foot or insert K-wires to the area for stabilization purposes. The patient usually takes a full six weeks to recover form a dislocation of the lateral area. With extremely crushing or potentially debilitating injuries surgery may have to be performed. This way the doctor can go in and see any specific problems and correct them immediately using bone grafts or lag screws to secure the area. This is a serious type of injury and it can take several months to fully heal.
Complications from a cubiod fracture can vary. Some people may be healed immediately while others can suffer for long periods of time. If the fracture was stress related pain can occur in the affected areas if any repetitious behavior is repeated. A loss of the arch of the foot can be permanently seen as well as deformities of the feet and sometimes things like bone grafts do not heal properly. This can also cause complications and permanent damage. The skin on the foot can become scarred and instability with walking can also occur.
If you have had a recent blow to the foot and are feeling pain in the mid foot area you should see a doctor. Many times these types of injuries are not serious and by taking weight off of the area, they can be healed quickly. But sometimes due to the damage to the lateral column other areas of the foot can become damaged. It is important to rule out those possibilities so that you do not have permanent damage from a cuboid fracture.