A rare and often serious foot injury is the fracture of the calcaneus (heel) bone. This is the largest bone in your foot and its job is to bear the weight of your body and assist in regular mobility. A fracture of the heel bone needs the immediate attention of a specialized foot and ankle specialist. If the fracture involves the joints connecting the bone to the rest of your ankle or foot, there is the potential for long-term consequences, such as arthritis and chronic pain.
Surgery is the most common treatment option to reconstruct the normal anatomy of the heel and restore mobility.
The calcaneus is most often fractured during a:

• Falling from a height
• Motor vehicle collision
• Twisting injury to the ankle

Signs and Symptoms:
Depending on the severity of the fracture there will be different presenting symptoms. Traumatic fractures of the heel are often serious and present painful immediate symptoms. While stress fractures are small microscopic fractures that include wearing down the bone over time and tend to include more chronic generalized pain.
Symptoms of traumatic fractures may include:

• Sudden pain and inability to bear weight on that foot
• Swelling in the heel area
• Bruising of the heel and ankle
  

The signs and symptoms of stress fractures may include:

• Generalized pain in the heel area that usually develops slowly (over several days to weeks)
• Swelling in the heel area

The foot and ankle surgeon will determine the best treatment—whether surgical or nonsurgical—for the fracture.