What’s a fibula stress fracture?

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Stress fractures of the fibula can cause moderate to significant pain and occur due to a twisting of the leg or muscle injury. Treatment involves RICE and immobilization, with long-term treatment possibly involving a cast or crutches. Rehabilitation through physical therapy is important to rebuild muscles and proper functioning of the lower leg.

The fibula is a bone in the lower leg that is quite long and very thin. When this bone is required to support more weight than it is capable of supporting, a stress fracture can occur. This stress fracture of the fibula is essentially a small crack in the bone and can cause moderate to significant pain for the sufferer. A stress fracture of the fibula is much less common than a fracture of the tibia, which is the larger bone that the fibula is attached to, but it can occur, especially in athletes or other people who spend a lot of time walking or running.

The stress fracture of the fibula usually occurs due to a twisting of the leg or a muscle injury, and although it is a less common injury than a fracture of the tibia, it is equally important to treat the stress fracture of the fibula properly. correct and quick. Injury first aid involves RICE treatment – ​​neither rest, ice, compression and elevation – and immobilization. These actions prevent further injury and help minimize swelling and pain. The RICE treatment will further promote blood flow to the injury which will encourage faster healing.

Long-term treatment may involve immobilizing the leg in a cast or simply staying away from the injured leg and using crutches for a period of time. Smaller fractures generally heal on their own given enough time and rest, although more severe cases of a fibula stress fracture may need to be addressed surgically. This is extremely rare, as the stress fracture should be large enough to warrant an operation.

Once the fibula stress fracture has had some time to heal, it will be important for the person suffering the injury to rehabilitate the leg. After several weeks of being away from the affected leg, the muscles and other tissues in the leg will have weakened or worn down, so you will need to get physical therapy. An experienced physical therapist will be able to help the person rebuild the muscles and proper functioning of the lower leg without re-injuring the fibula or causing other problems that could prolong the healing period. Once the physical therapy regimen is finished, the person will still need to maintain leg strength through exercise.




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