When a bone breaks healing can take up to 12 weeks. Breaks in a toe usually do not need to be repaired and simply taping two toes together can aid in the healing and decrease pain. Swelling in the toe region is the main complaint with these injuries and can take months to resolve. More severe breaks in the foot or ankle may need surgical repair to hold the bones fragments together and allow appropriate healing. Simple hardware techniques are used to repair the break with screws or plates.