What’s a Lisfranc Injury?

At Goldsmith Podiatry, we find that many of our patients may have experienced a Lisfranc injury but are not familiar with the name. Your Lisfranc joint is found in the middle of the top of your foot where the long bones leading up to your toes (metatarsals) meet up with the bones in the arch of your foot (tarsals). Both the joint itself and the ligaments connected to the joint can be injured in a number of ways including:

  • Car accident

  • Football, soccer, or other contact sport

  • Horseback riding

  • Running

  • Missing a step on the stairs

  • Dropping a having object on your foot

Types of Injuries

There are three types of Lisfranc injuries:

Dislocations—this occurs if the bones of the joint are forced out of position

Fractures—a fracture can either be an avulsion fracture where a small piece of bone breaks off from a joint bone or a complete break in the bone or bones

Sprains—the ligaments of the Lisfranc joint can be overstretched due to a forceful movement which can result in a sprain

Signs of Injury

If you’ve injured your Lisfranc joint or ligaments you may notice the following symptoms:

  • Pain in the midfoot especially when standing or if pressure is applied

  • Swelling in the midfoot or abnormal widening of the foot

  • Bruising or blistering on the arch or top of the foot

  • Inability to bear weight on the foot (this is usually in the case of a severe injury)

Diagnosis and Treatment

Lisfranc injuries can be mistaken for ankle sprains, and that’s why our podiatrists, Dr. Howard Goldsmith, Dr. Rosanna Troia or Dr. Kristina Ruff will carefully examine your foot and ask questions about how the injury happened. The foot doctor will also take x-rays and perform other imaging studies to get a complete picture of the injury and make an accurate diagnosis.

Immediately following a Lisfranc injury it’s important to ice and elevate the foot. Depending on the type and severity of the injury the foot doctor may also use one or more of the following treatments:

  • Immobilization

  • Oral medications

  • Physical therapy

In some cases surgery may be required.

If you believe you have suffered a Lisfranc injury it’s important that you contact our Upper West Side office  by calling 212-877-1002 as soon as possible for an appointment.

Blog, Foot Injuries, Lisfranc InjuryGoldsmith Podiatry