What are the complications to Shinbone Fractures?

Getting kicked in the shin is just one of those experiences that most kids go through. It’s a good lesson actually, it hurts a lot and teaches us to take care of our shins. Unfortunately, though, that lesson doesn’t really sink in as surprisingly, the tibia is the most commonly fractured long bone in your body. Long bones- such as the humerus, fibula, tibia, and femur – require a significant force to fracture; this often means that other injuries occur when this damage is done too.

What is the Tibia?

The tibia is the larger of two major bones making up the lower leg, the other being the fibula. Obviously, these two bones carry a lot more weight than other bones, so a fracture there is a major health issue. Such fracture can dramatically impact the motion and stability of the knee bone, and in fact, these types of injuries often spread past the knee and down the ankles. Resulting lesions due to bone fracture can injure the surrounding soft tissue that connects and surround other internal structures.

Symptoms of a fracture

If you have any concerns that you have fractured your shinbone, it’s imperative to seek emergency medical treatment immediately. Common shinbone fracture symptoms include:

·        Difficulty walking

·        Knee, shin and ankle area deformities

·        Trouble standing on the injured leg

·        Intense pain

The physician will need as much information as you can provide to correctly assess the injury- details about the activity that lead to the fracture, your personal and family medical history, previous injuries and medications that you’ve been taking. The doctor may include x-rays to check for broken/ displaced bone injuries and to determine how many pieces the bone has broken into.

Most common causes

The most common causes of a shinbone fracture occur due to a collision between pedestrians and automobile/ moving vehicle. Other common scenarios include sport injuries and fall from great heights – particularly scenarios where the body is twisting or in an unstable position.

Treatment

These types of fractures can take a long time to heal for the non-toddlers among us. You may need to use crutches and avoid placing any weight on the leg for several weeks. You can count on closed fractures to take 5 to 6 months to heal, and severe open fractures may take 9 months or more.