A 35-year-old woman presents with pain and swelling in her left foot after tripping over a step. She heard a crack at the time of injury and now has difficulty walking. What is the likely diagnosis and what should be the next step?
The likely diagnosis here is a metatarsal fracture, given the mechanism of injury and her symptoms. The next step should be to immobilize the foot and obtain foot X-rays to confirm the diagnosis. Depending on which metatarsal is fractured and the extent of displacement, management can range from a walking boot or cast to surgical intervention.