Britney Spears Broke Her Metatarsal Bone While Dancing—What Is That?

Britney Spears is a world-famous pop star, but she’s also kind of an athlete as well. (Have you seen her gymnastic moves on her Instagram page? This woman has skills.)

Spears has been into her fitness for a long time, but it’s ramped up since she started dating fitness trainer Sam Asghari in early 2017. The couple are known for their Instagram workout videos, including some pretty awesome acro yoga routines.

But Asghari’s latest Instagram post doesn’t feature Spears balancing in the air on his feet, or practicing her backbends. It’s a series of pictures taken in a hospital room, including one of the “Pieces of Me” singer with a thermometer strip on her forehead. Another shows Asghari writing “Stronger” on a leg cast.

The caption sheds more light on the situation. “When you break something it tends to heal stronger specially when you’re my Girl?? my lioness broke her metatarsal bone on her foot doing what she loves which is dancing ? Wishing her the best recovery so she can jump, run, and dance her butt off ?? #stronger (sic),” Asghari wrote.

Ouch! Bad luck for Brit (and the couple’s acro yoga hobby), but it’s good to see the mom-of-two posing up a storm, sticking her tongue out for the camera.

Thanks to the US National Library of Medicine, we know that the metatarsal bones are the five long bones in each foot that connect the ankle to the toes. Metatarsal bones help with balance when standing and walking. (Kinda crucial, then.)

A break or fracture in a metatarsal bone may be caused by a sudden blow, severe twist, or overuse, states the US National Library of Medicine. We don’t know the specifics of Brit’s injury, but the most commonly fractured metatarsal bone is the fifth metatarsal, which joins up with the little toe. Not all breaks to the fifth metatarsal bone are the same‚a break close to the ankle is called a Jones fracture, while a so-called “dancer’s fracture” (an avulsion fracture) occurs when a tendon pulls a piece of bone away.

If Spears’ bones are still aligned (i.e. the broken ends meet), she’ll have to wear her cast for six to eight weeks. Asghari didn’t reveal whether his “lioness” had undergone surgery or not (this is sometimes needed if the bones aren’t aligned). Either way, Brit probably won’t be able to put weight on her injured foot, and she might need crutches to get around. No dancing for the foreseeable future, then—but it probably won't be too long before she’s back to her athletic best.