Not all people have a medical education, and life is full of surprises and surprises, and sometimes they do not always end well. There are various injuries and even very serious fractures. If we look at the statistics, then it is a fracture of the tibia that is most common among fractures of the lower extremities.
And where is the tibia? How to determine the presence of a fracture in it? What awaits the victim and what complications can recklessness and slowness lead to?
The tibia is located between the knee and ankle joints. And if it’s completely “by eye” - between the knee and the ankle.
Among age groups, children from one to three years old are prone to fractures of this kind. Their bones are very fragile, not to mention the difficulties with maintaining balance. And if the child climbed relatively high to get, for example, a toy, and fell, then a fracture of the tibia is quite real. How to understand that it is the tibia that is broken? A fracture can only be determined by x-ray.
If the following symptoms occur:
- the child refuses to rest on his leg,
- does not get up and categorically does not want to walk,
- swelling appeared,
- the site of the alleged fracture is very sensitive to any kind of touch,
see a doctor immediately. The only, so to speak, positive point in this situation is that such fractures grow together quickly and only a small plaster cast is sufficient to treat it.
Children of school age are also prone to fractures in the bone growth zone. But these fractures already differ in possible complications. If the fracture is detected out of time or poor-quality treatment was performed, the result of this may be a difference in the length of the limbs, which leads to significant stress on the spine. But if you immediately go to the doctor with the child, and then he will be under the constant supervision of a specialist, you can avoid not only surgical intervention, which is possible, but also to protect the student from undesirable consequences in advance.
The tibia is the main support of the lower extremities, which accounts for more than 50% of the pressure. It is not strange that with large loads of legs, so-called “stress” fractures can occur . They arise gradually and are accompanied by pain during movement. The best treatment would be rest for a duration of 1.5-2 months. This excludes any load on the lower limbs.
Closed fractures usually do not require surgical intervention, but with severe damage to the soft tissues and instability of the fracture itself, surgery is performed to restore bone integrity. But surgical intervention is performed only with numerous fractures.
As for open fractures, in such a case, the tibia requires immediate surgery. Depending on the strength of the impact, localization and many other factors, the severity, as well as the profuse bleeding, depends. Open fractures are dangerous because they significantly increase the risk of infection, which can lead to complications. A full recovery requires an average of six months, but if any complications arise, the rehabilitation process can take up to a year. The list of complications includes the occurrence of pain in the knee and ankle joints, arthritis and osteoarthritis, bone deformation, non-growth, as well as various problems that are associated with blood vessels.
It is very important to see a doctor as soon as possible in case of any fractures, while in no way try to correct something yourself and generally try not to move the limb.