Tibial Shaft Fracture
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. The lower leg is divided into two bones called the tibia and the fibula. The tibia is the larger of the two bones.
What is a Tibial Shaft Fracture?
The tibia is the larger of the two bones that make up the lower leg, with the other being the fibula. These two bones help to provide mobility and stability to the leg and the rest of the body. If the tibia suffers a bone fracture in the middle, this is called a tibial shaft fracture. This can make it difficult to stand and walk.
Mechanism of Injury
A tibial shaft fracture is a traumatic injury that can occur in many different ways. Some people could break their tibia is a bicycle accident while other people could get struck by a car and suffer a pedestrian injury or break their leg in an auto accident.It is not unusual for patients involved in these types of accidents to break more than one bone depending on the severity. This is why people should always use caution when operating a vehicle or crossing the street.
Treatment of a Tibial Shaft Fracture
When someone has suffered a tibial shaft fracture, a physician is going to need to take images of the break to figure out the proper treatment option. With fractures that have not been displaced, the leg will be placed in a cast for a period of several weeks to allow the injury to heal properly. Over time, patients will start to bear weight on the leg again and could require physical therapy.
Complications may Occur
Some of the comorbidities that might develop include infection, blood loss, and mobility issues. If the fracture is open, this can lead to a tremendous amount of blood loss with the potential for serious infections, such as osteomyelitis.
Other Structures are at Risk
There are several other bones and ligaments that could be injured in a tibial shaft fracture. Among these are the hip, anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments (ACL and PCL), and the large thigh bone, called the femur. Damage to these structures can lead to significant surgical procedures and problems with arthritis down the road.
Differential Diagnosis
When a patient has developed a fracture of the tibial shaft, there are several other injuries that should be thought of. Examples are:
- Malleolar fracture
- Fibula fracture
- Femoral neck fracture
- Patella fracture
- Fracture of the tibial plateau
- Femur fracture
Injury Prognosis
Those who have suffered a non-displaced tibial shaft fracture generally have a good prognosis for recovery in a few weeks. If the fracture has been displaced, this could be more problematic and will be handled on a case by case basis.
Surgery is Possible
Surgery for this fracture is required if the bones are displaced from their normal anatomic position.
Contact an Experienced Tibia Fracture Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. If you’ve been injured in an accident, call me for free, friendly advice at (916) 921-6400 for (800) 404-5400.
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Image Source: Image has been shown with permission from the CC BY version 4.0 SA License. Taken from Wikimedia Commons
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