The metatarsal bones are some of the most commonly fractured (broken) bones in the foot.

There are two main types of metatarsal fractures. Acute fractures is due to an acute (sudden) injury to the foot (commonly dropping a heavy object on to the foot, a fall, or a sporting injury) and Stress fractures - due to overuse, or repetitive, injury to a normal metatarsal bone. Metatarsal fractures can also sometimes occur because the metatarsal bones are weakened due to osteoporosis. Broken Metatarsals have been prominent across all professional sports in the past five years. Metatarsal bones function for propulsion, the bones act like a rigid lever and for support, the bones act like a flexible structure that aids balance, thus holding up the entire body. The second, third and fourth Metatarsals are the most commonly fractured with this mechanism of injury, although the fifth metatarsal is fractured more in those who engaged in strenuous activities. Pain is continuous and increases in severity until the bone fragments are immobilized. The muscle spasms that accompany a fracture begin within 2o minutes after the injury and result in more intense pain than the patient reports at time of injury. The muscle spasms can minimize further movement of the fracture fragments or can result in further bony fragmentation. Loss of function occurs after a fracture, the extremity cannot function properly because normal function of the muscles depends on the integrity of the bones which they are attached. Pain contributes to the loss of function. In addition, abnormal movement (false motion) may be present. Deformity, displacement, angulation or rotation of the fragments in a fracture of the foot causes a deformity that is detectable when the affected part is compared with the uninjured part. Shortening is due to the compression of fractured bones. Sometimes muscle spasms can cause distal and proximal site of the fracture or overlap, causing it to shorten. Crepitus is a crumbling sensation when the extremity is gently palpated; it is caused by the rubbing of the bone fragments against each other. Patients experiencing this condition could possibly impair mobility specifically on the affected part. Treatment of fractures depends on the severity of the bones that are affected. If the force applied to the foot during traumatic incident is high then there is very little that can be done to prevent the fracture. However, it is essential to wear appropriate footwear that provides the foot protection.