$distal tibia fibula fracture$ $distal tibia fibula fracture$

DISTAL TIBIA FIBULA FRACTURE SERIES

Weber A: below the syndesmosis (stable).

$distal tibia fibula fracture$

The commonest classification is the Weber classification that uses the position of the fracture relative to the syndesmosis to group fractures: ClassificationĬlassification of distal fibula fractures attempts to split fractures into groups by severity. The syndesmosis is a strong ligament that pulls the tibia and fibula together just above the distal tibiofibular joint. This socket is only functional because the tibia (medial and posterior malleolus) and fibula (lateral malleolus) are held together tightly by the syndesmosis. The ankle is a pseudo-ball-and-socket joint the talus is the ball and the distal tibia and fibula act as the socket. They tend to cause fractures that are higher up the fibula and the rotational component of the injury may cause syndesmosis tears. In some cases, inversion coupled with rotation leads to a more complex injury. Avulsion injuries do not involve the syndesmosis and the ankle remains stable.

$distal tibia fibula fracture$

This results in either a pure ligamentous injury (complete or partial tear) or avulsion of the tip of the fibula (the lateral malleolus). A pure inversion injury will result in tension being applied to the supporting soft tissues of the lateral ankle, particularly the lateral collateral ligament. Most ankle injuries occur because of an inversion injury. Pathology EtiologyĪnkle fractures may be the result of a vast array of injuries that range from an inversion injury to a complex high energy trauma sporting injury.

DISTAL TIBIA FIBULA FRACTURE SERIES

inability to bear weight both immediately after injury and during clinical examinationĪn ankle x-ray series (AP and lateral views) is usually all that is needed to make a diagnosis.point tenderness at the posterior edge or tip of the medial malleoulus.point tenderness at the posterior edge or tip of the lateral malleoulus.The Ottawa ankle rules allow evidence-based decision making regarding the need for plain radiographs in patients with a traumatic ankle injury.Ī plain film radiograph is indicated in the setting of trauma if there are any of the following clinical examination findings 1: Most patients present following an episode of trauma with ankle pain, tenderness and an inability to weight bear. Risk factorsĬigarette smoking and obesity are both risk factors for ankle fractures. motor vehicle accident, sporting injury), while older patients present following minor trauma (e.g. Young patients present following injuries in relatively high-energy trauma (e.g. Thank you for choosing Summit Health.Ankle injuries, like many fractures have a bimodal distribution. Someone will get back to you as soon as possible. If you have sustained a tibia or fibula fracture, follow the link below and answer a few short questions. PT focuses on exercises designed to increase range of motion and strength of the muscles and tissues around the fracture. Rehabilitation and physical therapy (PT) are important parts of healing from a broken tibia or fibula. To manage pain, opioids or anti-inflammatories may be prescribed. A broken tibia heals even more slowly-four to six months or longer. Recovery from a broken fibula may take six weeks or longer. This hardware could be internal (under the skin) or external, such as attached to a bar outside the skin. The surgeon uses plates, screws or rods to hold the broken portions of the bone together. Surgery may be necessary if the fracture does not respond to immobilization, if it is a displaced fracture or if the fracture site has a number of bone fragments. These usually include immobilization with a cast or brace to allow the fracture to heal on its own. TreatmentĪ fibula or tibia fracture can often be treated with conservative measures. An X-ray can detect the presence of a fracture and its severity, and a computed tomography (CT) scan can show if there is any damage to the knee or ankle joints. The doctor usually starts with a medical history to learn about the injury sustained and any other medical problem, and then look for signs and symptoms of a fracture. Athletes in sports with much twisting or cutting, such as basketball or tennis, are especially prone to tibia and fibula fractures. Bone poking through the skin, in the case of a compound fractureĪ fibula or tibia fracture can occur in one of two ways: either a high-energy trauma like a car accident, or a low-energy event like a fall or sports injury.Symptoms of a lower leg fracture include: Fibula fractures often manifest as broken ankles. The tibia is the most often fractured-or broken-long bone in the body (long bones also include the femur, fibula and humerus). The tibia, the larger of the two bones, is the shinbone and is at the front of the leg, while the fibula is known as the calf bone and can be found next to the tibia on the outside of the lower leg. The tibia and fibula are bones in the lower leg.

$distal tibia fibula fracture$

Distal tibia fibula fracture