Hi Butterfly - I have broken the outside bone on my right foot twice.
The fifth metatarsol. The first time it was called a Jone's Fracture
because of the location. I was barefoot walking across the family room
when it happened. They told me the same thing as they have told you.
Too much walking on feet with poor structure or breakdown of the
structure due to Rheumatoid Arthritis - no padding. had been on my feet
a lot that weekend as it was my son's birthday and we had a big party
for him. I broke it the day after the party. That was also the summer I
wore Birkenstocks all summer. The foot doctor told me that they were
not a good match for me and probably contributed to the Jone's
fracture. Something about the way the position of the heal caused the
tendons to pull on the 5th metatasal.  That was the end of birks for
me. Two eyars later I had another birthday party for my son -- and
another break just a bit furhter down on the same bone. No more
birthday parties for my son.....LOL   I have also had 6 rib fractures
and 4 compression fractures in my spine all with a "normal" bone
density test. Only the last test showed osteopenia.  Cause --  from the
years of Pred I've been on and lack of estrogen.

My feet hurt all the time although I have found a new OTC orthotic that
has helped immensely.  It's made by a company called Lynco (no
financial interest) and was matched to my foot by a computer in the
speciality shoe store. It has a good arch in it as well as being made
out of a material that conforms to your foot and provides the fat type
padding that my foot is missing. I still have some pain but nothing
like before

Hope this helps!  By the way .. are you the same Butterfly that used to
be on the Prodigy newsgroup for Lupus way back when???

Diane W