Abstract
BackgroundFifth metatarsal base fracture are a common occurrence in the orthopaedic practice. Literature on the epidemiology of such fractures is scarce. The aim of this analysis was to study the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and the zone of the fifth metatarsal base involved by the fracture.MethodsData on adult patients who have been diagnosed with isolated fifth metatarsal base fracture were gathered at our Institution (blinded for review). Age, sex, height, weight and injury mechanism were collected from electronic medical records. Fractures were classified according to the Lawrence and Botte classification (Zone 1, 2 and 3) by three independent reviewers.ResultsFrom March 2016 to December 2018, 149 patients (109 women and 40 men) have been diagnosed with fifth metatarsal base fracture. Average age and BMI at the time of injury were 51.9 (SD 17.1, range 18–84) and 24.0 (SD 3.8, range 16.4–36.7) respectively. Fracture distribution was 63.8% in zone 1, 23.5% in zone 2, 12.7% in zone 3. 12.1% of patients had a BMI < 20 kg/m2, 57.7% between 20 and 24.9 kg/m2, 22.2% between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 and 8.0% over 30 kg/m2. No statistically significant differences attributable to sex (p = 0.774) or age (p = 0.379) were found between different zones of fracture. Average BMI was found to be higher in the zone 3 (26.1 ± 4.7 kg/m2) fracture group than in zone 1 (23.7 ± 2.9 kg/m2) (p = 0.031).ConclusionThe prevalence of proximal diaphysis (zone 3) fractures rises proportionally with BMI in our sample study. BMI appears to have an impact on fifth metatarsal base fractures pattern.
Highlights
Fifth metatarsal base fracture are a common occurrence in the orthopaedic practice
To the best of the Authors’ knowledge, no study has been published to date on the relationship between the value of Body Mass Index (BMI) and the prevalence of fractures in a specific portion of the fifth metatarsal base
The aim of this study was to define the impact of BMI on fifth metatarsal base fractures location according to Lawrence and Botte classification [7]
Summary
Fifth metatarsal base fracture are a common occurrence in the orthopaedic practice. Literature on the epidemiology of such fractures is scarce The aim of this analysis was to study the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and the zone of the fifth metatarsal base involved by the fracture. Fifth metatarsal base fracture are common in routine orthopaedic practice [1,2,3,4,5,6]. To the best of the Authors’ knowledge, no study has been published to date on the relationship between the value of Body Mass Index (BMI) and the prevalence of fractures in a specific portion of the fifth metatarsal base. The aim of this study was to define the impact of BMI on fifth metatarsal base fractures location according to Lawrence and Botte classification [7]
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