Anyone ever had a Calcaneous (heel) fracture?

Broke mine about 6 years ago. Took a long time for the pain to go away... Maybe 6-9 months. I was actually riding on it after 4 months but mostly desert and offroad. I don't have any lingering issues from it.

A buddy of mine had that fracture and it took him a loooong time to feel better. I remember him complaining about it for years. I think he kept re-injuring it by riding, so take heed.

Yes, I broke my right heel into 4 pieces in Feb 1995.
I was jumping a quad jump section on a sx track, jump 2, jump 2...bike spun on slick muddy dirt then grabbed at the base of the first jump, front wheel went too high to retrieve, so I bailed and landed feet first at the base of the 3rd jump.
I broke my left ankle, compression fractures in my upper back and neck vertebrae, broke 3 toes in my right foot, some other bones in my right foot and the heel into 4 pieces.
They put a stainless steel pin from the back of my heel straight through the 4 pieces.
I had broken my right tib / fib very badly a couple inches above the ankle about 6 yrs prior to this injury, the leg was plated and screwed back together badly with the bones misaligned so that my right foot pointed about 25 deg to the right of straight ahead.

I must state that I don't consider the medical treatment I recieved after either of these injuries to be very good...I lay in hospital in 1988 for 2 weeks before they operated on my leg...surgeon only came around every 2 weeks and he had just been..he would perform multiple surgeries in one day then head off again, so I was part of a job lot..he said it was a nasty break and it was the best he could do with it..
When I broke my heel, they only wanted to xray the heel..never examined the rest of the foot, was only after I complained that they looked at the rest and that was after the surgery.

I was told to put neither foot down for 3 months..and sent home where I had to crawl on my knees to get around
Three months later they pulled the pin out and said I was right to go. I immediately discovered that I could not walk at all, left ankle was very stiff and sore, right ankle wouldnt move at all and my leg muscles were totally wasted.
I was on crutches for probably a year, it was very hard to walk ,I basically used the crutches like walking sticks as it was a long time before my left ankle was good enough to support my body weight...the right one was trashed.

So the injury was in Feb 1995 and I resumed work in September 1995. I was then and still am a sheep shearer.
I had to go back to work, I was at the point of losing everything...it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life...it was so hard to catch and drag a sheep out of the pen to start with..and then it would usually knock me off my feet while shearing it, the pain was indescribable but I took no meds as I had a bad experience with addiction to them with my broken leg.
I never took my crutches to work because my boss said he wouldn't let me shear if I was still on crutches...despite all the dramas with me falling over clinging to a half shorn sheep about 100 times a day, he let me keep at it... I would literally crawl out of the shearing shed at the end of the day on my hands and knees...I kept the crutches for a long time and had to resort to them at some point every day for at least a year...the problem was my left ankle took so long to be good enough to support me....to this day I cant really stand on my right foot and stand for very long with my left foot off the ground.

My right ankle was pretty much fused...Ive got most of the movement back in it these days in an up and down motion but very little in a side to side motion.
The pain in my right ankle and the heel itself was intense pretty much 24/7 for over 3 years...for a long time, I was seriously considering getting my right foot amputated as that was the only solution the doctors could offer
Im glad I didn't get it amputated!
After going through hell for over 3 years...I literally had to crawl on my knees out of bed every morning and crawl into the shower and sit until the hot water would loosen me up enough to stand...they were dark days! ..the situation started to improve.

As bizarre as this sounds...I was actually riding again in 1996 as I definitely bought a new 96 kx 125..
Riding was the only time I could feel relatively normal. When I had the Alpine Stars on, the ankle support they gave me was a blessing...I used to wear them a lot even when I wasnt riding..in hind sight...I should have worn them shearing and just tried to adapt to it..
I was very shy about doing any big jumps for a long time, but by 1998 , I had built a great big supercross track on my own property and was back to racing and doing big jumps. Still though...after cooling down from riding my ankles would seize up and I could barely walk...through the week...work was a living hell at least trough 98 and gradually started to improve thereafter.
My ankles never really bothered me while riding after about 98 and my riding improved , I went from c class to b at the end of 98 and from b to a at the end of 99....all that time I could often barely walk at times after riding and especially after work..

So now..24 years after the injury... you would never catch me jumping off the bed of a truck onto the ground or even off a door step! People who dont know me will see me walking in the early morning or in the evening after work and ask me what I did to myself...I walk badly in the mornings and evenings especially after a solid day at work or a solid days riding
The injury will give me hell until the day I die I suppose but the excruciating pain of the first 3 years faded away, it still really hurts at times but nothing like it used to.

My advice to you is..
Get the best medical attention that you can...
Take physio therapy seriously and do it!! Your heel is part of your ankle..you break your heel..it is really an ankle injury. The heel bone will really hurt , but moving the ankle will hurt worse...you have to work on keeping movement in it and not let it freeze up.
I got poor medical treatment, no physiotherapy and didnt work hard enough to get movement back in my ankles.

Your motocross boots are your friends! With those on you will likely ride just fine despite having problems walking at times.

My injury was complicated and managed badly..take the injury very seriously and manage it properly.

Writing thus has dragged up some really dark memories for me...things Id blocked out for a long time
when the docs say a fractured heel is a bad injury...believe them.
I wish you well and hope it goes better for you than it did for me

I broke mine about 15 years ago and have 4 screws in it. It aches once in a while....but never while riding...I can run on it and for the most part it’s 100%. I will say this, that was one of the most painful surgeries/injuries I’ve ever had....and I’ve done a tib/fib, tib plateau, bilateral radius/ulnas, a humerus, clavicle, hand, lost a fingertip etc..

I shattered my heel in 2010. I can ride with little to no problems. Walking, however, is a different story. There is constant pain that is managed by taking time off my feet, wearing proper shoes, and adjusting my lifestyle. It totally sucks and there is little chance that it will ever not hurt. This injury kind of handicaps you for life. Just adjust to it and manage the pain as best you can.,

I broke both of mine 20yrs ago, the only time they don't hurt is when I'm riding. Unless I twist my ankle in a corner and then if screwed for 2-3 weeks. It's a really bad injury to have but doctors usually overdramatize what you won't be able to do a bit. You won't catch me running though, that's for sure.

Here's some of what I posted in the APLESS thread awhile back; there's some others input near the end of the thread FYI:


I broke mine 22 years ago. Broke it into three pieces, one fracture was in the joint the other basically broke a piece off the back of the calcaneous. I had mine surgically repaired and the surgeon got the bone fastened back in almost normal alignment. He told me due to the typical fracture lines that's not always easy to achieve. Mine was a fairly simple break but I still have 7 screws and a plate in there.

I had two years where I had that “twisting your ankle” pain and for several years I could get an ache with weather. Today I hardly every notice it although I’m 60 yo now and not as active. I never was a runner but I never noticed a problem on the bike or bicycle. I did recover some subtailor joint movement (the slight side to side rocking ability in the heel) and the doctor said that was pretty unusual to recover. I think my good results are a result of electing to do a surgical repair and having a guy with great skills do it. The initial orthopedic i saw just wanted to put me in a cast. He said he didn’t like to do surgery as he said that the foot was pretty intricate and he hadn’t always had good results.


I think there's also been other discussions here on heel fractures if you can search them out. Good luck.

Sorry to be so bleak but this has been a real tough one. For me it was a lifestyle changer. The correct shoes makes all the difference in the world. Right now....the best of the best shoe is Addidas Ultraboost. Get a podiatrist and meet with them a couple of times per year. There are injections (amniotic sac etc) and new technology that is always coming out. Be at the forefront of the new information and hope for medical improvements as the years go by. Running is overrated

Do yourself the biggest favor and get arch supports, I don’t walk without them in my shoes or ride without them in my boots. Mine are made of fiberglass because the ones my brother uses from the chiropractor are of a rubber material and I like the hard profile on hard landings and even running. They have to profile your foot so they fit right but had I used them before the injury it would have never happened in the first place because your foot arch creates a weak spot if u jump off the bike and land hard on your feet usually breaking your heal bone, think of James Stewart when he jumped off in 07 at San Diego Supercross over the finish line jump and landed on the face of the landing, he had arch supports in and got right up and finished, anyone else without arch supports would have collapsed both feet in the arch and broke there heels. Miracle I can even run when I can’t barely walk without them.

I broke my left heel riding in 2004 at the age of 37. Orthopedic surgeon told me it won’t ever be the same and your riding and running days are over. Took me forever to walk without the twisting your ankle feel. Started riding again a year later and still ride today without any problems from it. Walking is still a problem every now and then but I did go on to run half marathons without problems while running but paid the price afterwards. Like others here have said , follow through and do your therapy . It’s a long long recovery and your life is going to change but you will adapt and ride again. Good luck to ya man.

Shattered mine at Shell reef in March of 2000. It is still THE most painful remaining injury I have. It isn't always hurting. But it is always "there" and I can feel it.

However after working long days on my feet I get home a plop after dinner and watch tv. When I go to get up it is very painful for the first few minutes till I walk it out.

And yes when a low pressure system comes it hurts for no reason at all. Wives tale or not happens every time.

Yep mine always lets me know it’s still there. Anytime I sit for a bit it takes a minute to walk without a limp. If I mess around in the garage working on bikes in flat shoes or flip flops I pay for it later. Weather also has its effects on mine as well.

I shattered mine on the elevator at Gatorback when it was huge in late 90s. Broke my talus into pieces and footpeg sheared off the ball behind my big toe. Doctor told me I would be in most pain a man can feel when I woke after surgery after cutting so many nerves. It was bad but broken back was worse I think. 11 screws 2 plates in my foot. I was worried if I could surf or wakeboard first thing too. I healed for a year but went back to full speed pretty quick and it works well but does get swollen every night but fine in morning to start again. It's an odd injury. I have a nice limp but can kind of fake a normal walk for a few yards. My neighbors do think I'm faking or something. One day i'm running like a kid and the next im gimping to the mail box and then good again. Sorry you have to experience it. Hope you heal fast.

2007 bike locked up on the face of a jump. 7 screws and a plate in my right one. Very little range of motion and its still pretty painful to push to it's limits. And yes, it feels better in boots while riding. I have more confidence jumping a dirt bike than jumping off the curb into the street wearing sneakers.

I had not heard of the arch support idea before...will definitely be looking into that! Do I need to see a podiatrist to get fitted up for that?
At 53 , Im still riding pretty hard and recently had the scariest and most high speed crash in my life..only got a broken wrist...so I couldn't in all honesty say that breaking a heel again is beyond the realms of possibility even though I dont ride on sx tracks at all anymore.
Im pretty sure if I broke a heel again..at my age...Id just kill myself...it was that bad!

Shattered my heel a little over a year and a half ago. Had to have surgery and couldn’t put weight on it for a few months. It still aches everyday, and I’m still hesitant to even jump off a tail gate and land that foot first.

Broke both in 1997. Left one very badly.

Bad atrophy of my legs.

Had to learn how to walk and step and stand.

Still hurts.

Yup both 30 years ago but just fine stress fractures.
Still rode though. Get arch supports and heel cushions for your boots and you should be okay. Except them to get sore afterwards. My left one aches after even now.

Broke mine 8 weeks ago. Doctors couldn't decide if they wanted to do surgery for a couple weeks. One main fracture and some comminution ended up just casting me. Cast came off a couple weeks ago they gave me an airboot which I found to do nothing for this injury so I scrapped that and just started walking. A cane would be ideal but I broke the opposite side wrist as well. So I'm walking with a pretty bad limp. The heel itself doesn't hurt too bad my main problem is how weak my foot /calf is. I'm hoping I'll have enough strength back in a couple weeks to walk properly. I'm able to swim fairly frequently and can use a spin bike no problem.

This is the 7th bone I've broke and its definitely the worst as far as pain and recovery I've been lucky up until now I usually get the cast off and I'm good to go a couple weeks later.

reviving an old thread here.

I'm on my 5th week since shattering both heels. almost 2 weeks out of surgery. Left heel in few larger pieces, right heel was a fragment grenade. Both fixed up and surgery went better than expected. Originally, they said the right one would need fused to the joint but that wasn't needed.

I never thought I could spend so many hours at pain levels closing in on passing out. The entire week after the incident was bad. Waking up from surgery was mind blowingly horrible. Day 2 and Day 3 after surgery were also very bad. My body doesn't respond to pain killers so there isn't much relief to be had.

My current main struggle has been sleep. Even nights where there is no discomfort, i can't sleep even with sleeping aids. Did anyone else struggle with sleep? Did anything help? It's been a month now of operating off 1-2 hours of interrupted sleep each day. I've tried to do light workouts that dont involve my feet but energy levels are so low. My normal push up routine is 4 sets of 100. Currently struggle to do 30 from my knees.

I get the casts off in a couple days at my first post op appointment. Shit aches so bad, can't wait to massage everything. praying they put on something less restrictive that i can take off each day to massage my legs.

Broke mine 8 weeks ago. No surgery required so they put me in a cast for 2 weeks then the air boot and non-weight bearing. I started walking on it probably 3 weeks ago and I've been back in the gym for a few weeks. I started taking a bone supplement right after I broke it and I feel that helped and sped up the healing process. The first two weeks in the cast were the worst. The cast was actually more uncomfortable than the pain I was feeling in my heel. I haven't been back on the bike yet, but I have been doing some mountain biking. I want to get my quad and calf back closer to full strength before I moto. I don't have much pain at this point unless I'm on my feet for a long time.

The cast sucks the most. cant move or massage. the swelling at first was pressing against the cast. add in some muscle spasms.

Air boot for 2 weeks. Duct tape ankle and heal. Get Evs ankle braces. Ride smoother , landing from a jump let the bike smoothly land then put your foot on the peg. No heal clickers for a spell.

Broke it back in 91 landing short on an SX track.
Funny thing is before landing, I felt I was gonna hurt my balls, and in the end, my heel it the ground and my manhood stayed operational, lol...
Spent a while with a steel rod through the foot... Like most said, it was rather long and painful, and never got back like it was before, ankle is less stable and it still can hurt after all these years, especially since I broke another bone in the same aera in 97. Clumsy me.
For me too, walking hurts more often than riding, the worst being deep sand in the dunes going to the beach...
Same as others above, I need to chose my shoes and boots carefully.
I limp way less after a long day of riding wearing Tech 10 compared to anything else I tried.
Good luck to you!

I actually just ordered a set of Tech 10s and get delivered today, maybe in 5 months i can put them on. After reading up on them a bunch, seems like the Tech10s #1 option for this. I was wearing Tech 7s at the time of the crash but not sure anything was going to save me.

throttle got stuck on takeoff of a decently larger table/triple. I had to bail off the back. I thought I was going to make the downside but landed on the top of the landing heels first. Knew instantly that both heels were shattered. Needed to bail just a split second later and would have made the downside.

I have a friend that broke both about 30 years ago. He took a while but he races moto and a lot of worcs races at expert speed. He is also a runner.
Here's the thing, just because a doc says your fracture is healed doesn't mean you should jump on the bike and resume. You will probably be casted and non weight bearing for a couple months. You will lose muscle strength and flexibility. Take the time for PT follow your therapists recommendations to the letter.
FWIW, almost all docs have a negative knee jerk reaction to dirt bikes and riding. Find a supportive PT to help your recovery. When I had my knee replacement my PT knew I rode. He said he would help me get back to riding.
Good luck

I broke off the top corner off my calcaneus and shattered it, severed 3 tendons, shattered my cuboid (now pinned back together) and shattered the part of my navicular that the tendon was attached to all back in November of 2020. The pain after surgery was unbelievable for the first few days after the nerve block faded. I still suffer from a lot of pain and need to go back in for another surgery to fuse the joint between my calcaneus and cuboid but I am trying to put it off as long as possible. My surgeon thought I could go around 10 years before getting it fused originally but the damage to the cartilage was much worse than we thought.

I wish I had better news for anyone going through it but you do learn to live with it and you’re not alone in pain.