Midfoot Sprain

The foot is one of the more complex regions of the body. The foot has 26 bones, 30 joints, and more than 100 muscles, ligaments, and tendons. All of these structures are important because they give us stability when we stand and walk. Because there are so many structures in the feet the severity of midfoot sprains can vary greatly from a minor ligament sprain to a severe fracture dislocation with many torn ligaments. These injuries usually occur as a result of trauma to the foot and are named after the region in which they are located. If the injury occurs to the ligaments or bones in the area where our metatarsal bones meet our cuneiforms and cuboid it may be referred to as a Lisfranc injury (please see picture to the left). If the injury occurs where our navicular bone meets our talus or our cuboid meets our calcaneus it may be referred to as a Chopart's injury. When an individual suffers a midfoot sprain there may be pain and swelling in the foot and the individual may not be able to bear weight on the affected foot. Management of these injuries entirely depends on the specific case and the severity of the injury. In the cases of a mild ligament sprain we work to reduce pain, regain lost range of motion, and build strength within the foot and ankle to prevent recurrences of stress on the injured area. Surgery may be required in severe injuries that involve fractures and dislocation. The patient may undergo an ORIF (open reduction internal fixation). In this procedure the surgeon will relocate the dislocated bone (the open reduction) and then secure it in place with plates and screws (the internal fixation). After this is done the patient may be referred to physical therapy and we follow a specific protocol to reduce pain, improve range of motion, and restore strength until the patient achieves their goals. For examples of how we treat midfoot sprains in our clinic please see the photos below. If you would like to schedule an appointment please reach out to us.