What bones in the foot are affected by a stress fracture?
Any of the bones of the lower leg and foot can experience a stress fracture. The most common are the metatarsals, which connect the mid-foot to the toes. [See Fig. 1 below.] The heel bone, also called the “calcaneus,” can be broken as well. The navicular, a bone near the ankle, can have a stress fracture and takes a long time to heal. Finally, the bones that make up the ankle – particularly the tibia and fibula – are commonly affected. Figure 1: Anatomical drawing of the foot, showing the metatarsal and navicular bones.
