A spiral fibula fracture occurs when the bone cannot handle a twisting force, often caused by skiing or contact sports. The fibula serves as an attachment point for ligaments and muscles, and bone grafts can be harvested from it. Immobilization is the typical treatment until the bone heals.
The fibula is one of the bones in the lower leg. Bones can break in different ways, and the term spiral fracture refers to a break in which the bone structure cannot handle a twisting force and breaks in a spiral. Events associated with a spiral fibula fracture include skiing accidents and mishaps in other sports involving physical contact with another player.
Below the knee are two long bones. These bones are the fibula and tibia. Both run parallel to the lower leg, but the tibia, which is thicker and stronger, supports the person’s weight. The fibula is present to serve as an attachment point for ligaments and muscles at the ankle end of the leg. People requiring bone grafts can even harvest bone from the fibula for grafting without compromising the structural stability of the leg as a whole.
Fractures of the fibula are not as common as fractures of the tibia. Often, however, when the fibula is fractured, the tibia also breaks. The common forms of long bone breaks are caused by direct impact or falls. A spiral fibula fracture results from a different type of accident, in which a particular type of force acts on the bone.
Force can act on an object in many different ways. When force is applied in a twisting manner, it is referred to as torsion. A twisting force can be strong enough to break a strong structure like bone, especially since adult bone is not very flexible compared to that of children.
One particular situation where torsion forces can cause a spiral fibula fracture is skiing. A skier wears a rigid boot that stops above the ankle. The ski attached to the boot should glide smoothly over the snow at speed. If the skier encounters an obstacle and the ski jams and suddenly stops the skier in his tracks, the body can twist around the fixed boot. The fibula cracks and splinters under pressure.
Contact sports such as soccer or rugby can also result in a spiral fibula fracture. In these situations, the impact of another person causes a twisting force on the affected player and the fibula breaks under the stress. Very often, when a fibula spirally breaks, the tibia also breaks. Because the fibula has a major nerve sitting on it, affected patients may also suffer from a lack of sensation in the foot and pain from the rupture. Treatment for a spiral fibula fracture typically involves immobilization until the bone heals.
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