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#FIBULA SPIRAL FRACTURE HEALING TIME SKIN#
The leg may get caught in machinery causing severe fractures with extensive skin loss and potential for major injuries to muscle, tendons, nerves and arteries. It is also more likely that the displacement of the fracture fragments by the greater force will push one or more of them out through the skin, causing an open fracture.įractures of the tibia are common in high energy accidents such as MVAs or falling from a height. The term used to describe multiple fragments is comminution a fracture of this type is referred to as a comminuted fracture. The more force applied the more likely it is that there will be multiple fragments. Transverse fractures result from compression and spiral fractures result from twisting forces. Oblique fractures are usually caused by a bending force or direct impact. The different patterns of fracture of the tibia and fibula relate to the different mechanisms of injury. Related Document: Plainsview Physiotherapy's Guide to Ankle Anatomy It is not uncommon for fractures of the shin, especially open fractures to involve damage to either the blood supply to the foot or the nerve supply or both. The blood vessels and nerves that supply the foot are quite close to the bone. Fractures occur almost anywhere along the shaft of the tibia but the most common site is about two thirds the way down. Because the bone is just under the skin it is quite common for the jagged end of the bone to come through the skin when it breaks, causing an open fracture.
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There are muscles surrounding the tibia on the outer side and at the back the fibula is completely surrounded. If you put your finger on the inner side of the knee and run it down all the way to the inside of the ankle you can feel bone all the way down. The shaft has a triangular shaped cross-section and the inner front portion of the bone has only skin overlying it. The tibia is shaped a little like an inverted trumpet with a long straight shaft flaring out at the knee. What structures are most commonly injured?
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The tibia is relatively easy to fracture with twisting or bending forces. There is no overlying muscle to cushion impact on the front and inner side of the bone. Fractures of the upper end of the tibia are covered in knee fractures.The tibia bone is the largest and most important bone of the lower leg. Fractures of the lower end of the tibia and fibula are covered in ankle fractures. We will limit this discussion to fractures of the shaft, or mid section of these two bones. The two bones in the lower leg are the tibia and fibula. In this guide we are concerned with fractures of the lower leg between the knee and ankle. Welcome to Plainsview Physiotherapy’s guide to lower leg fractures. Physiotherapy in Burlington for Lower Leg Fractures
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