A male asked:
surgery? should this be properly aligned. broken fibula 2 places ! broken fibula, mid lower section top break, still in alignment but fracture. lower break separated and off to the side not in alignment but. back of heal and ankle burning. i have a splint
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Monica Wood answered
Hand Surgery 28 years experience
Without : Without seeing the images, it is difficult to know how much of the fibula is broken and how displaced it really is. The symptoms you're having sound like part of the peroneal nerve is irritated--either from swelling or from the fracture. Most of these injuries are stretch or bruising injuries, called neurapraxias, that resolve with time, usually about 3 months. Occasionally, a nerve can be severed, but usually there is muscle weakness to show the more severe injury.
In principle, fractures of the fibular shaft are left to heal without surgery. We can remove a large portion of the fibula as bone graft without significant adverse effects, so we know the mid-portion of the fibula does not provide structural stability. The closer to the knee, however, the more likely to affect the common peroneal nerve and the closer to the ankle, the more likely the fracture will affect ankle stability.
There are key ligaments that stabilize the ankle in the area known as the syndesmosis. These ligaments can take longer to heal than a fracture or lower ankle injury.
Talk to your treating physician about the location of the fractures relative to the important structures.
5332 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. David Moats answered
Podiatry 36 years experience
Surgery: Often when there is separation of the bones with an ankle fracture, surgery is indicated. However, the patients health status can affect the decision to perform surgery. Best to discuss directly with your treating doctor.
3672 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
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Last updated Oct 3, 2016
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