Diagnosis
If a lower leg fracture is suspected after an accident, a doctor should always be consulted. This doctor can confirm or disprove the suspicion with certain methods. It is important to first describe the course of the accident.
This can provide the first relevant information for a reliable diagnosis. The final diagnosis of a lower leg fracture is usually ensured by means of an imaging procedure, usually using an X-ray machine. Images of the lower leg from at least two different angles are usually sufficient for a reliable diagnosis of a lower leg fracture and allow the type of fracture to be classified.
In order to exclude further injuries, other procedures, such as an ultrasound examination, can also be used to rule out injury to the vessels of the lower leg. Another examination measures the pressure in the soft tissues of the lower leg. This examination is important because bleeding after a fracture in the lower leg can lead to compartment syndrome, which requires immediate medical attention.
In some cases, certain movement tests can already confirm or exclude a suspected fracture of the lower leg.To be on the safe side, however, the use of an X-ray machine is indispensable. If there is an open fracture, i.e. one or both bones partially protrude from the skin, the diagnosis of a lower leg fracture is clear. In most cases, however, it is still necessary to take an X-ray of the injured area for further treatment.
It is not easy to estimate the frequency of lower leg fractures due to the different causes. In general, it can be said that in the case of lower leg shaft fractures, both bones, i.e. the tibia and fibula, are usually affected. Very rarely, however, it can happen that only the tibia is affected. Most fractures of the lower leg are due to traffic accidents. Only then do sports injuries and other accidents follow.
Lower leg fracture in a child or toddler
Children’s bones heal even better than adults’, so the healing periods are usually shorter than the six weeks that adults usually have. This also applies to the lower leg fracture. This is because cells can be built up and broken down more quickly in children and the repair mechanisms start working more quickly in them.
Babies and infants in particular are less likely to fracture bones than adults, as their bones are more flexible and therefore do not usually break. Babies in particular often suffer from tibia fractures, which are also known as walker fractures. Mostly, however, it is only a small hairline fracture, which usually does not need further treatment.
Because of the pain, the children then spare the leg a little bit by themselves. In these cases, children start to crawl again, although they have actually already learned to walk. If such a hairline fracture is diagnosed by a doctor, the shin is put in a plaster cast.
An operation is definitely not necessary for these slight fractures. If the lower leg fracture is non-displaced or only slightly displaced, children are treated conservatively with a plaster cast. In this case, both the lower leg and the thigh are put in a plaster cast.
How long the cast has to be worn depends on the age of the child. In children under five years of age, a fracture usually heals within two to three weeks. In children between five and ten years of age, fractures heal in about three to four weeks.
If a shift of the lower leg fracture occurs during the healing process, it must be treated surgically, but this happens very rarely in children. After successful plaster therapy, children also receive physiotherapy to strengthen their muscles. If the deformity of the fracture exceeds a certain extent, children must also be operated on.
For children, titanium pins or so-called Kirschner wires are usually used for surgical treatment. In general, three quarters of all fractures in children can be treated conservatively without surgery. In adults, on the other hand, three quarters of all fractures must be operated on.
