The Fibula - Fracture, Treatment, Structure

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Tibia

The fibula is a tubular, thin and long bone of the lower leg. It consists of a body and two epiphyses, respectively, upper and lower. The distal or inferior end of the bone is an important part of the ankle joint and is called the lateral or external ankle. The lateral malleolus is the external bone stabilizer of the ankle.

The structure of the fibula

The body of the bone has a prismatic triangular shape, bent posteriorly and twisted around the longitudinal axis. The fibula has three surfaces: posterior, lateral, and medial, which are separated from each other by three ridges.

The anterior edge has the shape of a sharp ridge and separates the lateral surface from the medial one. The medial crest is located between the medial and posterior surfaces of the bone, and the posterior margin is located between the lateral and posterior surfaces. On the posterior surface, there is a feeding opening that extends into a distally directed feeding channel. The interosseous margin can be seen on the medial surface.

The upper epiphysis of the fibula forms the head, which is connected to the tibia with the help of the articular surface. The top of the head has a pointed shape and is called the top of the head. The head is separated from the body using the neck of the fibula.

The lower epiphysis of the bone forms the lateral malleolus. Its outer surface is well felt through the skin. On the medial surface of the lateral malleolus is the articular surface, through which the bone is connected to the outer part of the talus. Slightly higher on the fibula is a rough surface that connects to the peroneal notch of the tibia.

On the back surface of the outer ankle, you can see the trace of the tendon of the long peroneal muscle - the ankle groove.

Types of fibula fractures

Fractures occur at different levels of the fibula. Mostly, the bone breaks in the area of the lateral ankle. In turn, a fracture of the outer ankle of the lower leg occurs at various levels. Typically, a fracture of the tibia is accompanied by dislocation or subluxation of the foot, shortening of the bone, and rupture of the distal interosseous syndesmosis.

There are oblique, comminuted, transverse, spiral and fragmental fractures of the fibula.

The main symptoms of a fracture include:

• pain when probing the external ankle;
• edema;
• pain with axial load on the bone;
• pain in the ankle when moving.

Treatment of fractures of the fibula

The main goal of conservative treatment is the alignment and retention of bone fragments. The doctor traumatologist performs reposition, with the help of which the subluxation of the foot and the displacement of the fragments are eliminated. If during the period of reduction of the fracture, the reposition was successful and the condition of the fragments is satisfactory, the foot and lower leg are fixed with a plaster cast or a special orthosis.

If the reduction does not give satisfactory results and the displacement of the fragments persists, an operative treatment of the fibula is prescribed, which consists of several stages:

• open reduction of bone fragments is performed;
• subluxation of the foot is eliminated;
• bone fragments are fixed with implants (pin, screws, plate).

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