Tibia fracture
The fracture of the stronger tibia on the lower leg occurs relatively rarely compared to the fracture of the fibula. The tibia has its weakest point above the ankle joint, which is why this bone also breaks most often at the described point. The cause is an extreme twisting of the foot, possibly combined with external violence or traffic and sports accidents (soccer, skiing, snowboarding,..).
The strain on the leg becomes very painful, and it is almost impossible to use the foot. The fractured area swells, possibly with hematoma formation. If the bone ends are not too far away from their point of origin, the leg is put in a plaster cast for about six weeks so that the bones can grow together without surgery. Here it is important not to put too much strain on the new fibers too early and to give the whole thing time to regenerate. Nevertheless, specific stimuli should be applied at the right time to prepare the new structures for their later requirements.
Ankle fracture
More serious than simple bone fractures, which can usually be treated without surgery, are fractures involving joints. In the area of the fibula and tibia fractures there is a risk that the ankle joint will be affected. The ankle joint connects both lower leg bones with the foot and carries the entire body weight while standing and walking.
Since joint fractures run the risk of developing secondary diseases such as osteoarthritis, they are usually treated surgically. In addition, the stability of the leg after an ankle fracture is severely limited, since other stabilizing structures such as surrounding ligaments are usually also ruptured. These are also sutured back together during the surgical procedure. The bones are reattached to each other with screws or plates. Despite early functional follow-up treatment, the body must be given sufficient time to form new bone and tissue fibers.
Summary
The fibula is a long, narrow bone which, together with the shin, forms the lower leg. It is located on the outer side of the lower leg. At the upper end it can be felt outside below the knee joint.
At the lower end it is involved in the construction of the ankle joint together with the shinbone and the foot bones. The strong shin bone takes over most of the load, the calf bone supports it and cushions movement loads through its more flexible structure. Due to its slender structure, it is quite often exposed to injuries compared to the shin bone.
External force, which usually affects athletes, can cause the bone to break. Depending on the injury mechanism, the fracture site is located just below the head of the fibula, i.e. the upper end, in the middle of the bone (shaft) or just above the ankle joint, which is a relatively common form of fibula fracture due to extreme bending.Symptomatically, there is severe pain and swelling in the fractured area, and the ability to work under stress and function is limited. As a rule, a fibula fracture is plastered for six weeks and then treated in physiotherapy. Serious or complicated fractures, especially those involving joints, should be operated on.
