My 11-year-old daughter has just started dancing in toe shoes at her ballet class. After complaining about foot pain for a week, I took her to see the doctor. The doctor said my daughter has an avulsion fracture. What is this?

An avulsion fracture occurs when a small piece of bone breaks off from the main bone while still attached to the tendon or muscle. This type of foot fracture usually only requires a splint or short walking cast until the symptoms are gone–usually a couple weeks.


Your daughter can return to dancing when she is pain-free. A careful review of what caused this injury is important to prevent it from happening again.