The five metatarsal bones in each foot create the body of the foot. Numbered one through five, the bone that sits behind the big toe is number 1 and the one behind the little toe is number 5.
The phalanges make up the toes. Each toe consists of three separate bones and two joints, except for the big toe, which only has two bones and one joint like the thumb in the hand. The three toe bones include the distal phalanges at the tip, middle phalanges, and proximal phalanges closest to the metatarsals. The big toes don’t have middle phalanges.
Foot injuries can be suffered by drivers who are applying the brake forcefully during a collision. In car accidents, abroken foot typically occurs in the toes or in the long bones connecting the toes to the rest of the foot. Those bones are called metatarsals.
A broken foot may require surgery to implant fixation devices, such as wires, plates, nails, rods or screws into the broken bone. This can help maintain proper alignment during healing. However, less invasive forms of treatment may be pursued depending on the circumstances. Some breaks can be treated through a process called “reduction,” where a doctor manipulates the broken pieces of bone back into their proper position. In other cases, a break may be immobilized with a cast and brace until the broken bone properly heals.
