The middle of your foot is a little bit like a jigsaw puzzle. The metatarsal bones, the long bones that connect your toes to the rest of your foot, are held in position by many small ligaments. Damage to those midfoot ligaments and/or bones is what we call a Lisfranc injury.
How does it happen?
Any sort of radical twisting or turning of the foot can cause a tear or fracture in the midfoot, so it can happen to anyone who slips and falls. But Lisfranc injuries happen quite often as a result of sports accidents, particularly in college and professional football. Last season, a number of players suffered season-ending Lisfranc injuries – including the Washington Redskins’ Jonathan Allen, former Washington linebacker Will Compton, and Brigham Young University’s tight end Moroni Laulu-Putatau – to name just a few.
What are the symptoms?
Pain and swelling will originate on the top of your foot. If the injury isn’t too bad, that may be all you experience. With a severe injury of bone or ligament, your foot may look misshapen and you will not be able to put any weight on it.
Healing may take time
Many Lisfranc injuries can be healed with the use of a cast to keep the area stable. But if the position of injured bones and ligaments has been altered – that is, they’ve actually shifted out of normal position, surgery may be required. Lisfranc injuries are serious because they sometimes cause problems years after the initial injury. Pain returns. Arthritis can set in.
Erik Magnuson, the offensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers missed last year’s entire season after he felt a pop in his foot during the game, but kept playing. Professional ball player or not, when you know you’ve sustained some kind of midfoot injury, it’s not smart to self-diagnose and just keep playing. Call Montgomery Foot Care Specialists right away. Our podiatrists, Dr. Heidi M. Christie and Dr. Chanda L. Day-Houts offer state-of-the-art foot medicine including digital x-rays and diagnostic ultrasounds right here in our office. So you get fast, accurate diagnoses and expert treatment.
Call us in Montgomery, Alabama at (334) 396-3668. You may also make an appointment online.