Will a calcaneus fracture heal using only a cast?

Question

Hi doctor,

My 72-year-old dad slipped while getting down from the top berth of a train, and he hurt his foot. We took him to a hospital and got an X-ray done. He was diagnosed with calcaneus fracture. The doctor has put him in a temporary cast, and he has advised review after five days. Will this fracture be healed using only a cast?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The X-rays (attachment removed to protect patient identity) shows a non-displaced fracture of the calcaneum, and it can be treated in a plaster slab till the swelling goes down. Then a cast for four weeks. He can bear weight on that foot as pain allows, after three weeks in the cast with an overshoe. Please note that there is a lesion in the lower tibia that seems worrisome. A repeat X-ray is very necessary to check this out. You may need an MRI and a CT if this is seen again on the repeat x-ray.