Tibia Fracture - Treatment, Recovery, and More

2/7/2019 Tibia Fracture: Treatment, Recovery, and More
NEWSLETTER
Everything You Need to Know About

a Tibia Fracture
Medically reviewed by William Morrison, MD on November 7, 2016 — Written
by Neel Duggal
Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Types Treatment Recovery

Outlook
What is a tibia fracture?

The tibia, or shinbone, is the larger of the two bones in the lower leg. It’s
one of the most commonly fractured bones in the body.
Symptoms of a fracture in your tibia can range from bruising to intense

pain in your lower leg, based on the extent of your injury. To diagnose this
type of injury, your doctor will do a physical exam and may run some tests
to get an image of the tibia fracture.
Depending on the type of tibia fracture you have, your doctor may
recommend surgery. Recovery time also depends on how bad the
fracture is and can take from four to six months to heal.
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What are the main symptoms?

Your symptoms will vary depending on how bad the fracture is. Symptoms
may include:

intense pain in your lower leg
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difficulty walking, running, or kicking

https://www.healthline.com/health/tibia-fracture 1/16
numbness or tingling in your foot

inability to bear weight on your injured leg
deformity in your lower leg, knee, shin, or ankle area

bone protruding through a skin break
limited bending motion in and around your knee
swelling around the site of your injury

bruising and blueness on your injured leg
When the tibia is fractured, the other bone in the lower leg, called the
fibula, is often affected as well.
Read more: What’s the difference between a fracture and a break? »
What causes a tibia fracture?

The most common reasons for tibia fractures are:
High-energy collisions: These typically involve motorcycle or

automobile crashes and can result in the most severe fractures.
Falls, especially from large heights and ones involving hard
surfaces: This most commonly applies to the elderly, who may lack
stability, and athletes.
Twisting motions, such as pivoting: Sports such as snowboarding,
skiing, and contact sports are a common cause of this type of injury.
Some health conditions may also affect your tibia fracture. These include
type 2 diabetes and pre-existing bone conditions such as osteoarthritis.
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How is a tibia fracture diagnosed?
If you suspect you have a tibia fracture, your doctor may refer you to an
orthopedist. This is a specialist who diagnoses and treats abnormalities
and injuries in the bones. If you also have foot and ankle problems, you
may see a doctor called a podiatrist who specializes in those areas.
Your doctor will first ask you about your symptoms and a specific incident
that may have caused the fracture, such as a fall or collision. They will also
review your medical history to see if you have any risk factors for a tibia
fracture or any prior injury. They will then perform a physical examination
to look for:
bruises, especially with lots of blueness and swelling

instability when walking
tenderness
any obvious deformities, such as an abnormal bend or shortening of

your leg
any associated injury to your fibula
Your doctor will then perform a series of tests that check your muscle
strength and whether you can feel sensation in the lower leg, foot, and
ankle. They may also order the following tests to get a visual image of the
fracture:
X-rays
CT scan
bone scan
MRI scan
Depending on the extent of your injury, you may need emergency

surgery. Conditions requiring surgery include the bone penetrating the
skin, multiple broken bones, or injury to a major artery or nerve.
What are the types of tibia fractures?

Doctors often classify tibia fractures into the following categories:
Type of fracture Description
The broken ends of the tibia line up correctly

stable fracture
and stay in place during the healing process.
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The fracture is horizontal, and the bone can
transverse fracture
become unstable if the fibula is also broken.
displaced fracture The tibia is moved out of place when it breaks.

The broken ends of the bone are separated
and don’t align. This type of fracture is fairly
severe and may require surgery for full
recovery.
The bone fractures at an angle and is fairly

oblique fracture stable. It may become more displaced over
time, especially if the fibula is also broken.
The bone breaks into three or more separate

comminuted fracture pieces. This is the most unstable and severe
type of tibia fracture.
Often caused by a twisting force, this break

spiral fracture causes a spiraling line to appear on the bone
and may become unstable over time.
Tibia fractures can also be closed or open. With closed fractures, the
bone doesn’t break through the skin. Internal soft tissues such as tendons
and blood vessels may be affected by this type of break.
In open fractures, the broken bone breaks through the skin. This usually
only occurs during bad falls and vehicle accidents. Ligaments, muscles,
tendons, and other soft tissue surrounding the fracture site are at risk of
injury. Your body is more exposed to germs, increasing the risk of
infection.
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How is a fractured tibia treated?

Your doctor will consider several factors when treating a tibia fracture,
including:
extent of the injury, taking into account the amount of damage to

soft tissues
the reasons for the injury
overall health and medical history
personal preferences
any other fractures, such as a fibula fracture
Nonsurgical treatment of a fractured tibia includes:
casts
functional braces, which allow some movement of your leg
pain medications, such as narcotics or anti-inflammatories
physical therapy
at-home exercises
splints
Read more: How to make a splint »
According to a study published in the journal Injury, researchers are

starting to investigate a potential nonsurgical treatment for fractures
involving bone morphogenetic proteins. Research for this treatment is still
in its early stages.
In certain cases, your doctor may recommend surgery. This is more likely
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if you have an open fracture, a comminuted fracture, or extreme instability
in the bone or limb. Surgery may also be necessary if a combination of the
nonsurgical treatments for fractured tibias don’t work. The following

surgical procedures are most commonly used to treat tibia fractures:
internal fixation, which involves using screws, rods, or plates to hold

the tibia together
external fixation, which connects screws or pins in the fracture to a
metal bar outside your leg for added stability
Typically, these surgical methods are accompanied by physical therapy,

at-home exercises, and pain medication. Small risks are associated with
these surgeries. Ask your doctor to discuss these risks with you before
your surgery.
How long does recovery take?

Recovery time depends on the extent and type of fracture. Some shaft
fractures of the tibia take as little as four months to heal, with more
extreme cases taking a minimum of six months to heal. Your overall
health and the extent of your fracture will influence your recovery time.
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What’s the outlook?

Tibia fractures are painful and common. Recovery rarely requires more
than 12 months. If you suspect you have a tibia fracture, schedule an
appointment with your doctor right away to get it evaluated, or go to an
emergency room.
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2/7/2019 Tibia Fracture: Treatment, Recovery, and More

Everything You Need to Know About

Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Types Treatment Recovery

What is a tibia fracture?

Symptoms of a fracture in your tibia can range from bruising to intense

What are the main symptoms?

difficulty walking, running, or kicking

numbness or tingling in your foot

deformity in your lower leg, knee, shin, or ankle area

limited bending motion in and around your knee

swelling around the site of your injury

Read more: What’s the difference between a fracture and a break? »

What causes a tibia fracture?

High-energy collisions: These typically involve motorcycle or

bruises, especially with lots of blueness and swelling

any obvious deformities, such as an abnormal bend or shortening of

Depending on the extent of your injury, you may need emergency

What are the types of tibia fractures?

Type of fracture Description

The broken ends of the tibia line up correctly

displaced fracture The tibia is moved out of place when it breaks.

The bone fractures at an angle and is fairly

The bone breaks into three or more separate

Often caused by a twisting force, this break

Get Answers from a Doctor in Minutes,

ASK A DOCTOR NOW

How is a fractured tibia treated?

extent of the injury, taking into account the amount of damage to

any other fractures, such as a fibula fracture

Nonsurgical treatment of a fractured tibia includes:

Read more: How to make a splint »

According to a study published in the journal Injury, researchers are

nonsurgical treatments for fractured tibias don’t work. The following

internal fixation, which involves using screws, rods, or plates to hold

Typically, these surgical methods are accompanied by physical therapy,

How long does recovery take?

What’s the outlook?

READ THIS NEXT

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Nausea and Birth Control Pills: Why It Happens

The Diﬀerence Between VLDL and LDL

Challenge Your Core with This Modiﬁed Ab

7 Emerging Beneﬁts of Pueraria Miriﬁca

Is Basa Fish Healthy? Nutrition, Beneﬁts and

High-Fructose Corn Syrup: Just Like Sugar, or

Yes You Can Diet Review: Does It Work for Weight

Can You Eat Honeycomb? Beneﬁts, Uses, and

What Causes Tendon Inﬂammation?

Get our wellness newsletter

Enter your email

Your privacy is important to us

About Us Health Topics

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