40 patients with transversal or short oblique fractures of the proximal shaft of the fifth metatarsal bone (Jones fracture) were treated with full weight bearing with or without elastic bandage in 39 cases and plaster cast immobilization in one. 24 cases were acute traumatic fractures, 14 stress fractures and 2 refractures. After 17 (11-26) years, 33 of the fractures had healed primarily, evidence of refracture or delayed union was found in 7 and there were no non-unions. All but one of the patients were free of symptoms.