Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Dec;17(4):e70012.
doi: 10.1002/jfa2.70012.

An overview of the risk factors for producing fifth metatarsal fracture in sports activities: A systematic review

Luis Angel Ortiz-Lango  1   2 , Israel Miguel-Andrés  1 , Daniel López-López  2 , José de Jesús Mayagoitiza-Vázquez  2   3 , Ricardo Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo  4 , Marta Losa-Iglesias  5 , Juan Gómez-Salgado  6   7 , Miguel Ángel Saavedra-García  8
Affiliations

An overview of the risk factors for producing fifth metatarsal fracture in sports activities: A systematic review

Luis Angel Ortiz-Lango et al. J Foot Ankle Res. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Introduction: The fifth metatarsal fracture is a foot injury that occurs in sports activities. This fracture has been associated with risk factors based on intrinsic variables such as type of feet (flatfoot or cavus foot), foot pathologies, and bone density among others. Extrinsic variables associated with fifth metatarsal fractures include sports maneuvers, the type of sports practice, and contact surface. Although this injury has been investigated over the years, there is no consensus on the most relevant risk factors that cause this injury. An increase in the number of people with fractures makes it a relevant topic of research. The objective of this review was to identify an overview of the risk factors for producing the fifth metatarsal fracture based on intrinsic and extrinsic variables in sports activities. Furthermore, this review aimed to clarify what is known and what is needed on the risk factors that can influence the appearance of the fracture.

Methods: A search in electronic databases, such as Scopus (n = 87), PubMed (n = 187), and Web of Science (n = 173) was conducted. The initial search yielded 447 titles and abstracts, from which 31 papers were selected for detailed analysis after screening all citations against the eligibility criteria.

Results: After screening the manuscripts, it was found that the fifth metatarsal fracture can be produced by multiple factors. However, most of the studies focus on one or two specific risk factors. It was found that soccer (38.7%) is the sports activity that presents a higher risk of getting a fifth metatarsal fracture compared to other sports activities. The second risk factor was the performance of critical maneuvers (22.5%) and the third one was the biomechanics of the foot (22.5%).

Conclusion: It is paramount to identify the most critical risk factors linked to the fifth metatarsal fracture to be able to implement effective treatments and prevention strategies.

Keywords: fifth metatarsal fracture; foot; risk factors; sport.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Search method flow diagram created based on the Guideline Cochrane Collaboration [18] and PRISMA methodology [19].
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Analysis of the risk of bias of the studies included. (1) Green (low risk), (2) yellow (unclear risk), and (3) red (high risk).
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Risk of bias summary in the studies. (1) Green (low risk), (2) yellow (unclear risk), and (3) red (high risk).
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Network chart of the intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors of the fifth metatarsal fracture.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Porter, D. A. 2018. “Fifth Metatarsal Jones Fractures in the Athlete.” Foot & Ankle International 39(2): 250–258. 10.1177/1071100717741856. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Shuen, W. M. V. , Boulton C., Batt M. E., and Moran C.. 2009. “Metatarsal Fractures and Sports.” The Surgeon 7(2): 86–88. 10.1016/S1479-666X(09)80022-X. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Herterich, V. , Baumbach S. F., Kaiser A., Böcker W., and Polzer H.. 2021. “Fifth Metatarsal Fracture: A Systematic Review of the Treatment of Fractures of the Base of the Fifth Metatarsal Bone.” Deutsches Ärzteblatt International 118: 587–594. 10.3238/arztebl.m2021.0231. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cheung, C. N. , and Lui T. H.. 2016. “Proximal Fifth Metatarsal Fractures: Anatomy, Classification, Treatment and Complications.” Archives of Trauma Research 5(4): 1–7. 10.5812/atr.33298. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lehman, R. C. , Torg J. S., Pavlov H., and DeLee J. C.. 1987. “Fractures of the Base of the Fifth Metatarsal Distal to the Tuberosity: A Review.” Foot & Ankle 7(4): 245–252. 10.1177/107110078700700406. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types