Fractures, which are breaks in a bone, are common in the heel bone, or calcaneus. The largest bone in the foot, the heel bone contains soft, spongy bone on the inside that fragments easily, the Foot and Ankle Institute of the University of Washington reports. As many as two out of every 100 fractures occur in the heel bone, the same source states. The heel is the second most common site of stress fracture in the foot.
Cause
Stress fractures in the heel most often occur from overuse or repetitive forces, such as running or jumping, or in people with osteopenia, which is low bone density in the heel, Tracy Aldridge, M.D. of the Southern Illinois School of Medicine reported in "American Family Physician" in 2004. Stress fractures most often occur when beginning a new activity, although changing surfaces from soft to hard while performing repetitive athletic activity such as tennis or basketball, increasing the amount of activity or changing footwear can all lead to stress fractures. Women athletes develop stress fractures more often than men due to lower bone mass, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons states.
Symptoms
Symptoms of stress fractures in the heel include diffuse heel pain and tenderness when squeezing the body of the heel, Stephen Pribut, D.P.M. explains.
Diagnosis
X-rays often don't show stress fractures for the few weeks after an injury develops, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons warns. Radionuclide bone scans and magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, more effectively diagnose stress fractures of the heel several weeks before the fractures show up on X-rays, Dr. Aldridge explains.
Treatment
Treatment for stress fractures of the heel includes reduction of activity, according to Dr. Aldridge. Casting, immobilization, pneumatic walkers or crutches reduce weight bearing on the heel and allow it to heal if reducing activity doesn't decrease pain after several weeks. Stress fractures in lower extremities such as the heel take eight to seventeen weeks to heal.
Complications
Not allowing a heel fracture to heal through proper rest and decreasing activity can result in a worse fracture or chronic problems with stress fractures that don't heal, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons warns.
Prevention
Unlike fractures that occur from unavoidable trauma, heel stress fractures are often avoidable. Increasing activity gradually, stopping an activity when pain first develops and increasing calcium and vitamin D intake can help you avoid stress fractures.
