- A Jones fracture is a specific break of the fifth metatarsal in a "watershed" area with poor blood supply.
- It typically happens from a planted-foot twisting injury or from a sudden push-off in basketball, soccer, or football.
- Non-surgical treatment with strict non-weight-bearing works for many; surgical screw fixation is the standard for athletes and for high-risk fractures.
- Recovery is 8–12 weeks at minimum — rushing back leads to non-union (the fracture failing to heal).
What are a Jones fracture?
A Jones fracture is a break at a specific anatomical zone of the fifth metatarsal — the long bone on the outside of the foot that leads to the little toe. The fracture occurs in a "watershed" zone where blood supply is poor, which is what makes it notorious for delayed healing or non-union. It is named after Sir Robert Jones, the orthopedic surgeon who first described it in 1902 — he had the fracture himself.
Jones fractures most commonly occur in athletes from a planted-foot twist or a sudden push-off where the foot rolls into supination. They're famously associated with basketball — Kevin Durant, Dwayne Wade, and many other NBA players have had them. But anyone can get one stepping off a curb, missing a step, or rolling an ankle.
At NES we treat Jones fractures aggressively because the consequences of mismanagement are real: non-union rates without surgery are 15–30 percent, refracture rates are high, and athletes routinely lose months. We co-manage athletes and high-demand patients with primary screw fixation; lower-demand patients with appropriate fracture patterns do well with strict non-weight-bearing casting.
See it in motion
Animations licensed from ViewMedica · Swarm Interactive
What it feels like
Jones fractures typically present with:
- Pain on the outside of the foot, near the base of the little toe
- Tenderness when you press directly on the bone there
- Swelling and sometimes bruising on the outside of the foot
- Difficulty bearing weight, especially on the outside of the foot
- Pain with attempted push-off or jumping
- A history of twisting injury or sudden cutting movement (athletes) or a missed step (everyone else)
Why it develops
Jones fractures happen with predictable mechanisms:
- Sudden inversion (rolling inward) of a planted foot — common in basketball, soccer, football
- Cutting and push-off injuries in field sports
- Stress fracture from chronic overload (running, military training)
- Stepping off a curb or stair with the foot rolled into supination
- A naturally high-arched (cavus) foot, which loads the outside of the foot more
How we diagnose a Jones fracture
A Jones fracture is diagnosed on X-ray. The classic finding is a transverse fracture line at the metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction of the fifth metatarsal. We use weight-bearing views and oblique views to confirm displacement. MRI is occasionally used for early Jones-zone stress fractures where the X-ray is normal but the clinical picture fits.
Non-surgical care
Strict non-surgical treatment can work for non-displaced acute Jones fractures in lower-demand patients:
- Strict non-weight-bearing in a cast or removable boot for 6–8 weeks
- Repeat X-rays at 4–6 weeks to confirm healing
- Transition to a walking boot for another 2–4 weeks
- Custom orthotics, especially for cavus-foot patients, before returning to activity
- Gradual return-to-sport protocol over the following 4–6 weeks
- Bone-stimulator therapy in slow-healing cases
Surgical care
Surgical fixation is the gold standard for athletes, high-demand patients, displaced fractures, and any Jones fracture that fails to heal non-surgically.
- Intramedullary screw fixation — a single large screw placed down the canal of the bone (the standard procedure)
- Open reduction with bone grafting for non-unions or revisions
Surgical recovery for primary Jones fixation: non-weight-bearing in a boot or cast for 2 weeks, transition to weight-bearing in a boot at 2 weeks, transition to a stiff-soled shoe at 6 weeks, and return to running and sport at 10–12 weeks.
When to see a specialist
- Pain on the outside of the foot after a twisting injury
- Inability to bear weight after a planted-foot injury
- Pain along the outside of the foot in a runner or athlete that's lasted more than a week
- A previously diagnosed Jones fracture that isn't healing on schedule
Jones fractures are treated by Dr. Yama Dehqanzada, Dr. Thomas Melillo, Dr. Manny Moy, and Dr. Todd Galle — all of whom handle a high volume of athletic foot fractures.