For minor fibula fractures or breaks, it may only take about six weeks to make a full recovery. However, in most cases involving a broken fibula, it will take at least twice that amount of time, if not longer.

Is a fibula fracture serious?

Most fractures of the fibula do not have any serious complications. Within a few weeks to several months, most patients make a full recovery and can continue their normal activities.

How long does it take for broken fibula to heal?

Recovery from a tibia-fibula fracture typically takes about three to six months. Your child may be able to heal faster by resting and not putting too much weight on their leg until the bone has healed.

Can a broken fibula heal in 4 weeks?

Fibula Healing, Quickly and Completely

Fibular fracture treatment usually takes four to six weeks, as long as the patient doesn’t try to return to action too soon.

What does a broken fibula feel like?

‌Fibular fractures can show the following symptoms: ‌Pain or aches at the site of the fracture on the body. ‌Tenderness, swelling, or bruising. ‌Visible signs of deformity‌.

What is the fastest way to heal a broken fibula?

Elevate the injured leg as much as possible, during sitting and sleeping. One key to success after fibula bone fracture surgical procedure is to decrease swelling by compression and elevation. The faster the swelling subsides, the faster is the recovery. Non-weight bearing is absolute no weight of the healing leg.

How do you sleep with a broken fibula?

Invest in a specialized pillow, like a body pillow, for elevation—keeping the broken bone above your heart prevents blood from pooling and causing swelling. Try sleeping on your back first while propped up on a few pillows.

How easy is it to fracture your fibula?

It supports just about 15% of your body weight but even so, if you come down on your fibula wrong, it’s an easy bone to snap. The fibula can fracture in numerous places, and in numerous ways, including: Stress fractures occur when repeated impact causes the bone to wear down and break. This is an overuse injury.

How does a broken fibula heal?

The general process for healing a fibula fracture is immobilization with a splint or cast for several weeks, after which you might get a walking boot to help you walk. Recovery time depends on factors such as: the severity of the injury and the presence of any other injury at the same time.

Why a boot and not a cast?

Less skin damage – skin underneath a cast can become raw and painful. The open-air design and lightweight material helps to prevent skin damage when wearing a walking boot. No loud saws used – walking boots can be removed without the use of loud saws. This is helpful for children who may be afraid of the saws.

Why is my broken fibula not healing?

After a fracture occurs, new bone tissue forms to connect the broken pieces. When the broken bone fails to heal it is called a “nonunion.” For bone healing to happen, the bone needs adequate stability and blood supply. Nonunions happen when the bone lacks adequate stability and/or blood flow.

Can you swim with a broken fibula?

Treatment includes non-impact activities initially, with gradual re-introduction of impact activities. Kicking while swimming should not be a problem with this injury.

Does a walking boot hurt?

Just be careful that you get the correct size for you and that you feel safe using such a product. Your goal is to keep both hips level so you don’t feel like you are forced to limp when you walk. Limping from the height difference caused by the boot will lead to hip and/or back pain if you are not careful.

Is the fibula a weight-bearing bone?

It is the main weight-bearing bone of the two. The fibula supports the tibia and helps stabilize the ankle and lower leg muscles. Tibia and fibula fractures are characterized as either low-energy or high-energy.

Why do broken bones hurt more at night?

During the night, there is a drop in the stress hormone cortisol which has an anti-inflammatory response. There is less inflammation, less healing, so the damage to bone due to the above conditions accelerates in the night, with pain as the side-effect.

How do you know a fracture is healing?

When you touch the fractured area, the pain will lessen as the fracture gets more solid. So, one way to tell if the broken bone is healed is for the doctor to examine you – if the bone doesn’t hurt when he touches it, and it’s been about six weeks since you broke it, the bone is most likely healed.

Why does fibula hurt?

In some people, particularly long-distance runners7 or hikers, the fibula may be injured as a result of repetitive stress. This type of injury is known as a stress fracture. The pain of a stress fracture may begin gradually. Usually, the pain worsens with increasing levels of activity and is relieved by rest.

Does weight-bearing help bones heal?

Weight-bearing is essential for bone healing in patients with autoimmune disease, fractures, and following orthopedic surgery. Low-intensity weight-bearing exercise has shown to be beneficial in bone healing over non-weight bearing exercises.

Will my ankle ever be the same after a break?

If it’s a low-to-medium grade ligament injury or a stable bone fracture, then it’s highly likely that the ankle will be similar to before. With more severe ligaments and unstable fractures, there is always some difference in flexibility and appearance.

What is a distal fibula fracture?

Distal fibula fractures are the most common type at the ankle and are usually the result of an inversion injury with or without rotation. They are the extension of a lateral collateral ligament injury.

What causes the fibula to break?

The most common cause of a fibula fracture is some sort of trauma or injury. You can break your fibular by rolling or twisting your ankle, tripping, falling, or sustaining a direct blow or impact to the lower leg or ankle. The fibula can also suffer a stress fracture.

Do you need to use crutches with a walking boot?

Generally speaking, keeping weight off may well require you to use some type of assistive device even with a walking boot. But it doesn’t have to be crutches. Leaning on a walker or cane or using a wheelchair for longer periods where you might be on your feet may be the right thing for you.

Can you play football with a broken fibula?

Fibula fracture in football

Although it is possible to play with a fibular fracture, it is not something that should be taken lightly. The fibula is a mostly non-weight bearing bone, accounting for roughly 3 percent of the body weight carried by the leg.