Fracture of the tibia
Fracture of the tibia is a violation of its integrity, sometimes complete, and sometimes partial, which occurs when the load exceeds the strength of the bone tissue. Usually, an injury is the result of a blow to the leg, which can be the result of an unsuccessful jump, a fall from a height, a car accident, careless movement along the street in the winter season, and extreme sports.
The tibia is often injured, due to the peculiarity of its location and the absence of a tissue layer. Often the fibula located next to it also breaks. The risk of getting this kind of damage increases in people who have crossed the sixty-year line, which is associated with the structural features of their bone tissue. It becomes more fragile and porous, so even a not too strong blow can lead to a fracture. Young children are also prone to injury due to their high physical activity. They often have fractures of this tubular bone without displacement and sharp fragments.
Content:
- Types of tibia fractures
- Tibia fracture symptoms
- First aid for fracture of the tibia
- Diagnosis of a tibia fracture
- Treatment of tibia fractures
Types of tibia fractures
In traumatology, fractures of the tibia are usually classified as follows:
- Breaking, which is the formation of a small crack that can be located vertically and horizontally;
- A comminuted fracture, when bone fragments are formed during injury;
- A closed fracture where the broken tibia does not break through soft tissue
- An open fracture, in which the integrity of the skin is violated, and the bone communicates with the external environment;
- Fatigue fracture, which is a characteristic injury to the tibia. It is formed as a result of the occurrence of traumatic overstrain, when there were already small cracks on the bone. Often this type of injury is suffered by professional athletes such as gymnasts or basketball players.
Tibia fracture symptoms
Knowing the main symptoms that are characteristic of this injury, you can independently identify it and seek medical help in time:
- Pain syndrome has its own characteristics. While the leg is at rest, the victim's pain is aching and dull. When a person makes an attempt to lean on a limb, then the pain becomes sharp;
- Edema and hematoma form around the fracture site. They appear most often immediately after being injured;
- The leg itself looks deformed, there may be unnatural bone mobility in the area of the fracture;
- Violation of the sensitivity of the foot is rarely worried. Sometimes it becomes pale and cold, which indicates serious damage to blood vessels and nerves.
- If a person receives an open injury, there is no reason to doubt its nature. A gaping wound will be visible, the bone will come out, bleeding will open.
First aid for fracture of the tibia
If a person has received such an injury, then competently provided first aid will be the key to an early recovery.
Before the arrival of the team of doctors, or before sending the victim to traumatology, it is important to take the following measures:
- Try to relieve the pain. For this, any remedy at hand is suitable: Ketorol, Analgin, Ibuprofen, Nimesulide;
- The injured limb must be immobilized by applying a splint. Even ordinary boards are suitable for this. One of them is attached from the inside of the leg, and the other from the outside. After the splint is fixed with a bandage or cloth bandage. It is important to immobilize the entire limb, special attention should be paid to the knee and ankle joint;
- If the fracture is open, then all visible contamination should be removed, and the edges of the wound should be treated with an antiseptic solution, and then closed with a sterile bandage;
- When there is heavy bleeding, a tourniquet should be applied to stop it. A suitable place for this is the thigh.
Diagnosis of a tibia fracture
Upon admission of the victim to a medical institution, the doctor will perform the following actions, which will be aimed at clarifying the diagnosis:
- Performs a visual examination for the presence of a violation of the integrity of the skin, edema, hemorrhage, displacement and other signs of a fracture;
- Conduct an oral questioning to clarify the circumstances of the incident and have a more accurate idea of the nature of the damage;
- Uses methods of instrumental examination: X-ray and, possibly, computed tomography. CT is more often prescribed when there is a suspicion of a fracture of adjacent joints.
These activities will clarify the diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
Treatment of tibia fractures
The therapeutic focus will depend on the nature of the injury and its severity.
It will be possible to do without the operation under the following circumstances:
- If the fracture is closed and the displacement is minimal;
- If the patient is unable to undergo surgery;
- If a person already had limited mobility before, and the difference in the length of a healthy and damaged leg observed after a fracture is not critical.
In order for the patient to feel more comfortable with severe edema, the doctor may impose a splint. It can be tightened and relaxed. After that it is necessary to apply a plaster cast. The period of its wearing is determined by the doctor, most often, the fusion of the tibia takes from 4 to 6 weeks.
Surgical treatment is indicated when:
- There is an open injury;
- The fracture is unstable, the fragments are strongly displaced;
- Conservative measures proved to be ineffective.
The most commonly used method of treating a tibial injury is intraosseous osteosynthesis. Its essence lies in the introduction of a metal pin inside the medullary canal, which crosses the fracture zone, fixing the fragments in place.
An older method of treatment is fixation of the fragments with plates and screws. It is used when osteosynthesis is impossible. Before these structures are installed, the fragments will need to be repositioned.
On the subject: 12 popular ways for home treatment
Rehabilitation procedures include visiting a massage room, performing exercise therapy and adhering to a diet. With adequate treatment by modern methods and the patient fulfilling all the doctor's recommendations, the restoration of limb functions occurs in the shortest possible time.
Author of the article: Kaplan Alexander Sergeevich | Orthopedist
Education: diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" received in 2009 at the Medical Academy. I. M. Sechenov. In 2012 completed postgraduate studies in Traumatology and Orthopedics at the City Clinical Hospital named after Botkin at the Department of Traumatology, Orthopedics and Disaster Surgery.
