What is a Lisfranc fracture?
A Lisfranc fracture is a type of broken foot. The Lisfranc joint is the spot on top of your foot where the metatarsal bones (the bridges to your toes) connect to the rest of your foot.
This is a complicated area of your foot. It’s where many bones, ligaments and tendons all come together to hold your foot’s arch in shape and help it move properly. Because so many parts of your foot meet up in one place, the Lisfranc joint is very important. It’s just like a busy highway on-ramp or main intersection in a city: A lot depends on a relatively small area to make everything work correctly.
You can hurt any part of your Lisfranc joint. Lisfranc injuries are most commonly caused by an accident or some kind of trauma. Athletes can injure their Lisfranc joint playing sports, but even a small stumble or tripping throughout your day can cause an injury. Major traumas like car accidents and falling off a ladder also cause Lisfranc fractures and injuries. If you have a fracture, you broke at least one bone, but you can also tear or sprain any of the joint’s connective tissues.
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How serious is a Lisfranc injury?
A Lisfranc injury isn’t life threatening, but is still very serious. Because the Lisfranc joint is so important to your ability to walk, run or move, breaking any of the bones in it — or injuring any of the ligaments and tendons supporting it — can have a big impact on your quality of life.
You need to get your injury examined by a healthcare provider as soon as possible. This will ensure you know exactly what’s wrong and which treatments will help you heal.
Like any bone fracture, the severity of the original injury and any damage done to your bones makes each Lisfranc injury unique.
How common are Lisfranc injuries?
Lisfranc injuries are relatively uncommon, but that might be because many people never get them officially or correctly diagnosed. In fact, experts estimate that up to 20% of Lisfranc injuries are missed or misdiagnosed when people visit emergency rooms with foot pain. That’s why it’s important to give your provider all the information you can about your injury. The more they know about what you’re feeling and how you got hurt, the sooner they can arrive at the right solutions for you.
Lisfranc fractures are only 0.2% of all reported broken bones. Only 1 out of every 55,000 people in the U.S. is diagnosed with one per year.
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Who does it affect?
Lisfranc injuries and fractures can happen to anyone because they’re caused suddenly and by trauma. There’s no clear road map of who is more likely to experience a Lisfranc injury, but certain activities and health issues might slightly increase your risk:
- Playing competitive sports: Sports like football, soccer and basketball make your feet more vulnerable to being twisted, stepped on and crushed than other activities.
- Running: Lisfranc injuries are sometimes caused by repetitive overuse that puts stress on your feet.
- Diabetes or nerve damage: Any condition that reduces feeling in your feet makes it less likely that you recognize pain and other early symptoms of a Lisfranc injury.
Men in their 30s and athletes tend to be the most common people to get Lisfranc fractures.
How does a Lisfranc injury affect my body?
If you’re diagnosed with a Lisfranc injury or fracture, you’ll be unable to put weight on your injured foot for several weeks. Exactly how long depends on what is hurt or broken. Expect to wear a boot or cast that will prevent you from putting weight on your injured foot for at least six weeks.
If it’s not treated properly, a Lisfranc injury can lead to serious complications, including:
