You have been given a walking boot, or expect one, and the first question is how long you will wear it. The answer comes as a range, set out below.
The time range
The length of time depends on your injury. Cleveland Clinic says that, depending on your injury, this could be for up to eight weeks or more. Cleveland Clinic also says a broken foot can take four to six weeks to fully heal.
Reading on boots, braces and casts
A meta-analysis in PMC compares a removable brace with cast immobilization for ankle fractures, and a case-control study there weighs internal fixation against manual reduction for how broken ankles heal. Cleveland Clinic covers the broken foot and the ankle fracture on separate pages.
When to stop and ask
Your doctor sets the end date, not the calendar. Wearing the boot as directed takes no special skill, and the one step that is not yours to take is stopping early. Ask at each visit what has to be true before the boot comes off.
A note for first-timers
Asking how and when the boot ends is a fine question to bring to every visit, in Wood Dale or wherever you are treated.