Q: What are metatarsal stress fractures?

A: Metatarsal stress fractures are (usually) tiny cracks in the metatarsal bones behind the toe bones. They can cause pain, redness and swelling just behind the toes. They are usually related to normal walking in soft bones (such as is seen in osteoporosis) or excessive weight bearing on normal, healthy bones. This can cause hairline cracks in the bone, kind of like if you bend a pencil in your hands until it is just about to break and starts to crack just a little bit. That’s a stress fracture. This condition is usually treated with a rocker-bottom walking boot for 4-6 weeks and has a high success rate.