Its muscles are likely to be as strong as any other uninjured foot. The foot can feel sensations perfectly well. The healthcare practitioner will likely not note any deformity, swelling, or signs of bleeding. The joint can move in all directions without pain. Īnd even when they've decided to go to a doctor, the foot itself may not look injured. Though this may improve the pain, it keeps the athlete blind to the possibility of a growing injury. Some may take about a week's rest from training. They may unconsciously use their forefoot more often in walking or running to alleviate the pain. Those who have this injury often delay going to their healthcare practitioner because it's not that bad. Eventually, the pain becomes progressive- it will be felt earlier when doing certain activities and well after they've stopped running. The pain would shoot up when the person is engaged in activities that stress the bone, such as running or jumping. To track and field athletes, the most commonly affected by navicular fractures, it may feel like a vague kind of pain along the middle area of the foot especially over the arch. While there have been no sure answers, studies have hinted at those with a condition called pes cavus or a rather foot arch, who wear wide-heeled shoes, īecause this is an injury that eludes the usual first-line diagnostics, several researchers have tried to figure out who is more likely to get these fractures. These hidden fractures result in a cascade of delayed diagnosis and continued bone injury until such a time that the progressive stress causes a fracture line that is visible in the regular X-rays. Often, these initial fractures are not seen in plain X-rays or even in a computed tomographic (CT) scan. Remember that part in the bone's center that gets less blood and nutrients? When a part of the anatomy that is weaker due to the lack of blood vessels gets the brunt of repetitive stresses such as in weight-bearing exercises or marathon training, it can result in a navicular fracture. While it is true that some navicular fractures are caused by direct trauma to that area of the foot, these are rare in comparison to stress fractures. So how does a bone so cushioned between other bones, muscles, and sinews get fractured? Still, navicular fractures represent about a third of all foot stress fractures, especially in younger athletes. The midfoot itself doesn't get fractures all that often. However, the navicular bone, in particular, has fewer blood vessels going into its center. Like any part of the body, it depends on blood and the vascular highways to carry nutrients. The bone has several attachments to muscles and other bones to keep the area stable. The little boat-shaped bone in the inner midfoot is called the navicular bone. In general, the human foot has three sections- the forefoot where the toes are, the midfoot at the arch, and the hindfoot towards the heel. Now, if an injury was missed, the consequences could be devastating.Ī fracture of the navicular bone of the foot is one such insidious injury that often goes undetected for a prolonged period. Often, treatment for these injuries requires either rest or a surgical procedure both options strain an otherwise rigid training regimen. Foot injuries are especially difficult for athletes, and their lifestyle makes them more susceptible to traumatic injuries or continuous stresses on bones and muscles.
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