Anyone ever fractured a fibula? :(

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Hutchlou

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I recently fell off & got stood on by my cob as he galloped off! Leg swelled & bruised, was x-rayed & was told it was just bruised. Received a letter a few days after, recalling me to A&E as an abnormality had been seen on my xray. Went back today & was told I have a hairline fracture of the fibula! :(
The doctor was very dismissive & said the treatment was no different than what he'd advised for the bruising. My leg is quite sore, bruised & keeps swelling/filling whenever I am on my feet for a few hours. But I've been told to do lots of walking & flexing of the ankle & knee & to just keep taking painkillers if it hurts! :( No resting, elevation or ice! Seems to be strange advice to me! Any thoughts?!
 
Whilst I agree that walking & flexing of the ankle & knee & to take painkillers sounds reasonable. The no resting, ice, compression or elevation doesn't sound right.

RICE keeps the swelling down and enables you to maintain the mobility in the joints.

But I'm not an expert or doctor.
 
i had a horse kick me (i was riding another horse at the time) and she smashed my tibula and fibula. i was in full plaster for about 4 months then in a plaster from knee down for a further 5 months. it happened 30yrs ago though so treatment will be very different now.
it still gives me trouble now and i have poor circulation but i've been told that it was because i didn't rest it enough when i had the lower cast on, at the time my physio pushed me to exercise though.
 
Yes I did!
I fell off and sat on it and it snapped I then had to ride home and drive to a and e.
it wasn't diagnosed...for a week and was in two bits broken at the top. I had a cast but I wish I had just strapped it up would have been more comfy.
6 weeks to heal :(
Forgot to add that there is an important nerve which wraps around the bone at the top and works your if toe. It you get any numbness in your foot or toe you need seen by orthopaedics ASAP.
 
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I did back in december was a clean diagonal break just above the ankle dr was worried as it was holding my ankle in place and i walked on it :@ ended up in cast for 6 weeks with no weight bearing at all and still it gives me pain especially when cold and wet or i ride for long best thing i did was up and down stairs to get it flexing and up and down with your ankle but dont do circles as puts too much stress on your joint and takes a long time to heal properly.x
 
Oh and i was told to elevate my leg above my heart as mine too was swelling up and still does and i was advised to take painkillers i also was told any numbness to return to the hospital immediately if the fracture is lower down near the ankle you must rest it and be careful as the lower the break or fracture the worse it is.x
 
I did my tib and fib in october, fell off landed on it and heard it go. Also dislodged it so there was a big gap. Spent 7weeks in plaster and since then in an ankle boot, tib has fixed itself but fib has healed misalined and still have a gap so waiting for an op on the 31st to have rebroken and bone graft :rolleyes:

What I would say though is if you aren't happy do make a racket, they originally ummed and arred about operation on me at the beginning, they were then they were then they werent and then left me in cast and said they will just see if it heals.....wish I had of made a racket at first as its been so long now and going back to square one.
 
I broke tib and fib 8 years ago - it was pinned back together, no cast on at all. It has healed a bit squint and an inch longer that my other leg :(

I did have to keep it elevated, but basically started walking on it 4 days after op (as per consultant instructions!). It still aches now.
 
I'd go to the GP, or if it's bad back to A&E.

I cracked and chipped my forearm (Dizz slipped on the road and we both went down). No plaster or strapping, but had to keep it raised and rested. No driving for six weeks.

I didn't move it enough though (no physio) and now there is a lack of movement and strength in that arm. I'm working on it in the gym and it's coming right again.

I hope yours heals quickly and well.
 
If you have a hairline fracture of the fibula it requires immobilization and pain medication as well as an anti-inflammtory medication depending on your physicians opinion.

I have had that injury. I kept on for a week, but on crutches with a brace,( in the U.S. one can rent these at the pharmacy) hoping it was just a sprain and then went for medical attention. I was put in an air cast for 8 weeks. PLEASE do see another physician. You need a brace or a cast and limited weight bearing especially until your leg is immobilized.

Any physicians willing to chime in?
 
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Yes! End of November I fell of my TB, twisted in the air and landed on my left leg; other foot still in the stirrup,before landing in a heap. I had a slight crack and bend in my left fibula. I could put a bit of weight on the leg but rested for 2 weeks, just using crutches and after became a little more mobile gradually building up the time I spent off crutches.

Very painful however minor,I do sypmathise! :o
 
Thanks for all your replies, sounds like you've all had worse breaks than mine! I will keep it moving & go to my GP if it doesn't get any 'easier'. The a&e doctor was surprised that I wasn't walking on it better yesterday (10 days after) so he must believe that it'll heal on it's own. X
 
My boyfriend found out he broke his playing football a month and a half ago.... but he only found out last week, and had been playing 2 matches a week and training 6 days a week... and he wondered why his leg hurt???!
 
At present i have a hairline fracture to my right knee and a fracture to my left ankle, my knee was in a cast for 2 weeks took them two weeks before they realised that my ankle was fractured so i was hopping around on crutches for two wks with broken ankle takin my weight!!! anyhow i have cast off knee now and a weight bearing cast on ankle so i can weight bear on my knee at present i am walking on my crutches no bother u would swear there was nothing wrong with me lol but take the crutches away and i walk with a limp and usually lose my balance and nearly hit the floor lol am hoping another 4 wks i will be on my feet again
but OP if i were you i would go get a second opinion
get well soon
 
Hutchlou said:
Thanks for all your replies, sounds like you've all had worse breaks than mine! I will keep it moving & go to my GP if it doesn't get any 'easier'. The a&e doctor was surprised that I wasn't walking on it better yesterday (10 days after) so he must believe that it'll heal on it's own. X
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Honestly, movement is not what you want at this time. You need to hold the bone still so the fracture can knit together. Please see you GP ! :)
 
Hutchlou said:
I recently fell off & got stood on by my cob as he galloped off! Leg swelled & bruised, was x-rayed & was told it was just bruised. Received a letter a few days after, recalling me to A&E as an abnormality had been seen on my xray. Went back today & was told I have a hairline fracture of the fibula! :(
The doctor was very dismissive & said the treatment was no different than what he'd advised for the bruising. My leg is quite sore, bruised & keeps swelling/filling whenever I am on my feet for a few hours. But I've been told to do lots of walking & flexing of the ankle & knee & to just keep taking painkillers if it hurts! :( No resting, elevation or ice! Seems to be strange advice to me! Any thoughts?!
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I have. Mine was misdiagnosed in A & E although at least I was put in a cast and given crutches. I went back to the consultant who made the correct diagnosis. Put me in a lightweight cast for 2 weeks and then an Air walker boot for another 6.
I know that A & E misdiagnose on X rays and then the consultants come in after the week end look at the x rays and people are called back in to correct the errors.
I wouldn't think the doctor was dismissive, I would think he was covering their backs.
I refractured mine another twice before it eventually started to heal.
In the light of my own experiences I would treat it more seriously and if the hospital will not put a cast on I would buy my own air walker to give it support for several weeks to allow it to heal.
The first cast the hospital put on was a back slab. Very big and heavy and I was told to keep my leg elevated until the swelling went down and a normal plaster could be put on.
 
If this was me I would be going back to A & E. Your GP can provide advice but they are unlikely to have things like casts/support/crutches/xray machine to hand. The hospital will have all of these things.

I haven't broken my fibula but I broke my tibia. If was crushed so in addition to the bone break I had severe skin and muscle damage. It was touch and go if I would lose my leg. (I was talking to the paramedic who helped me last week and he said when they moved me they weren't sure if my leg would still be attached to my body).

The ortho guy put a metal rod in to help with the break but the crush took much longer to deal with (plastic reconstruction).

But ... Leg raised on a frame, bed tilted, ice delivered on a regular basis and when I was allowed out of bed I had crutches for several weeks.

Seeking a 2nd opinion will either put your mind at rest or highlight a problem. Waiting could just make it worse.
 
As the fibula is not a weight bearing bone it is often not immobilised unless it is a particularly bad break, if it is swollen try elevating and icing when possible, although you are encouraged to maintain your mobility work within your own pain limits, and take pain relief as needed.
Any break will take 6-8 weeks to heal, the important thing is to maintain a full range of movement both in the ankle and knee by basically keeping them moving as you are already doing.
Hope this helps!!
 
I did back in 1987. I was jumping and the pony stopped. I held on to the reins, as this was drummed in to me, and the pony decided to cat leap and landed on my leg. Fractured tib and fib. Gives me a lot of trouble now and cannot ride now, that being the main reason. My advice would be to get a good second opinion and rest, or it may cause you a lot of problems in the future. Best of luck.
 
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