Symptoms
The symptoms after a lower leg fracture can vary in severity depending on the type of fracture. Typically, affected persons complain of severe pain in the injured area. In addition, almost all lower leg fractures are accompanied by restrictions in the leg’s movement and an inability to bear weight.
A common symptom of lower leg fractures is also the appearance of bruising, which is caused by the rupture of vessels in the vicinity of the fracture. The fracture is also accompanied by swelling. Depending on the severity of the fracture, a malposition of the lower leg can also be an indication of a fracture.
Sensory disturbances in the foot are also frequently observed with a fracture of the lower leg. A visible piece of bone that penetrates the skin is an unmistakable sign that at least one bone has been broken. Such an open fracture can be divided into four different degrees: Grade I – A portion of the bone protrudes from the inside to the outside of the fracture, with only a small amount of tissue destroyed and little bacterial contamination.
Grade II – The skin is severed from the outside to the inside by force. The surrounding structures are partially damaged. A medium level of bacterial contamination of the wound can be assumed.
Grade III – The surrounding soft structures are severely damaged.Nerves as well as vessels are involved, the bone is shattered and a strong bacterial contamination of the wound can be assumed. Grade IV – 3⁄4 of the soft structures are no longer intact, important nerves and vascular pathways have been severed, the blood supply to some tissue structures is no longer ensured. The consequence of such an injury is usually an amputation.
Pain is obviously one of the absolute main symptoms of a lower leg fracture, along with swelling or visible bone fragments. They occur to a relatively limited extent on the lower leg, i.e. they do not normally radiate from the buttocks and thigh region into the lower leg, which makes it possible to distinguish them from a disc problem. Since a fracture of the lower leg is usually accompanied by severe swelling and often – especially in the case of an open fracture – also by an inflammatory reaction, most patients experience this pain not only under stress but also at rest.
The severe pain in the affected lower leg prompts the patient to relieve the leg. This relieving posture can give an indication of a lower leg fracture or a similar injury in the leg area, especially for small children who may not yet be able to report pain or an accident that has occurred (e.g. a fall). Following the surgical treatment, almost every patient complains of pain in the area of the affected lower leg.
These are treated immediately after the operation and usually over several days with pain and anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. In the course of wound healing and rehabilitation, this pain should gradually decrease, but can of course reappear if the load is increased. Only if the pain is severe or if there is no improvement over a longer period of time, the alarm bells should ring and the surgeon should be informed. Otherwise, moderate pain during exercise of the leg and a standstill of pain reduction for several days after the operation are not in themselves alarming signals.
