Foot injuries from basketball can often take a long time to heal

Q. I am a 17-year-old basketball player who has had worsening foot pain for two months. When the pain reached the point I could not play, I went to see my team doctor. He got X-rays and an MRI scan that showed a stress fracture of the navicular bone. The doctor put me in a walking boot and he said it should heal itself in a month or two.

I was reading about navicular fractures online and the injury looks like it could be worse than the doctor says. Does it sound like I am getting the right advice and if not what should I do?

A: The navicular is a bone in the mid-part of the foot. Chronic repetitive stresses such as jumping and running in basketball can result in micro fractures of the bone known as stress fractures. The treatment and recovery of stress fractures depend upon the bone involved and the degree of injury.

The navicular bone stress fracture can be among those with long healing times and a poorer prognosis. Many of these fractures require surgery to fix and over six months to heal.

I agree with you that these injuries can be complicated and I recommend you see a knowledgeable orthopedic foot specialist for a consultation.

Dr. Harlan Selesnick is team physician of the Miami Heat and director of Miami Sports Medicine Fellowship, Doctors Hospital. Send your questions to HarlanS@baptisthealth.net