Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomyCausesTypesSymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentComplicationsOutlook
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anatomy
Causes
Types
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Complications
Outlook
A fibula fracture occurs when there is a partial or complete break of thefibula bone. The fibula is the smaller of two bones of thelower leg, situated between the knee and ankle, that helps keep the ankle joint stable.
Fibula fractures are common in sports that require a rapid shift in direction after a jump, such as basketball. Many fibula breaks also involve the rupture of a supportingligamentand/or a fracture of the adjacenttibia bone(shin bone).
This article describes five different types of fibula fractures, including their symptoms and how they are diagnosed and treated.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
What Is the Fibula?
The fibula is a long, thin bone that starts just below the knee joint on the outside of the leg and extends all the way down to the ankle joint.
The larger bone of the lower leg (called the tibia) carries most of the body weight. The fibula’s primary function is to help keep the ankle joint stable.
The fibula does little to support the weight of the body. Still, it performs important functions as it is where ligaments attach to both the knee and ankle joints.
Causes of Fibula Fracture
When characterizing a fibula fracture, a specialist known as anorthopedistwill want to understand the underlying cause.
Fibular fractures can be characterized in one of two ways:
Types of Fibula Fractures
What Is a Comminuted Fracture?
Symptoms of a Fibula Fracture
Fibula fractures can occur in isolation but often happen with injuries to other bones, ligaments, or tendons around the knee and ankle.
Common symptoms of an isolated fibula fracture include:
How a Fibula Fracture Is Diagnosed
To diagnose a fibular fracture, your healthcare provider will conduct a physical examination of the leg as well as the knee joint and ankle joint.
Imaging tests are central to the diagnosis, each of which can provide specific pieces of information:
Did I Bruise My Bone or Break It?
Treatment Options for Fibula Fractures
How a fibula fracture is treated depends on where the fracture is located and whether other bones or ligaments are damaged.
Many isolated fibula fractures are treated with a procedure calledclosed reduction and immobilization. This is where the bone is manually set into the correct position and then immobilized with a cast or splint.
If possible, the orthopedist will realign your bones without surgery. If this is not possible, surgery may be needed. Options include:
While isolated fibula fractures usually heal quickly, complex injuries may need further treatment.
Physical therapy is almost invariably recommended after healing to decrease pain and swelling, improve strength, increase therange of motionof the leg, and minimize scarring.
Problems with the incision or the hardware can lead to complications after surgery.Because there is very little soft tissue between the skin and the bone, wounds may not heal as easily. Wound healing may be especially troublesome for smokers and people with diabetes or arthritis.
Pain associated with implanted hardware is not uncommon. As a result, some people choose to have plates and screws removed after the fracture has healed.
As can occur with all surgeries, infection is possible. Call your healthcare provider if you develop the following signs and symptoms after anopen fractureor the surgical treatment of a bone fracture:
How Does It Feel When a Broken Bone is Healing?
With the appropriate treatment and physical therapy, a person with an isolated fibular fracture can expect to return to their pre-injury condition (or come close to it) within six to eight weeks.Even so, pain and swelling may continue for three to six months.
Factors that influence recovery include age, the severity of the injury, general health, smoking, and a person’s commitment to physical therapy.
If treated appropriately, there are seldom any long-term limitations.
Summary
A fibula fracture involves an injury to the smaller of two bones in your lower leg. Most of the time, fibula fractures happen near the ankle joint. Repetitive stress fractures are also common. In severe cases, the tibia or ligaments are also damaged.
Symptoms include pain on the outside of the leg, swelling, and bruising. To find out whether you have a fracture, an X-ray, MRI, or CT scan will be necessary.
The treatment will depend on where and how bad the injury is. A brace or cast can keep your leg stable while the fracture heals. If the injury is severe, you may need surgery to realign the bones. Recovery from an isolated fibular fracture usually takes six to eight weeks.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Canton G, Sborgia A, Maritan G, et al.Fibula fractures management.World J Orthop. 2021;12(5):254-269. doi:10.5312/wjo.v12.i5.254Kortekangas T, Haapasalo H, Flinkkilä T, et al.Three week versus six week immobilisation for stable Weber B type ankle fractures: randomised, multicentre, non-inferiority clinical trial.BMJ. 2019;364:k5432. doi:10.1136/bmj.k5432Goost H, Wimmer MD, Barg A, Kabir K, Valderrabano V, Burger C.Fractures of the ankle joint: investigation and treatment options.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2014;111(21):377-88. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2014.0377Kröger I, Müßig J, Brand A, et al.Recovery of gait and function during the first six months after tibial shaft fractures.Gait & Posture. 2022;91:66-72. doi:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2021.09.199Mehta SS, Rees K, Cutler L, Mangwani J.Understanding risks and complications in the management of ankle fractures.Indian J Orthop.2014;48(5):445-52. doi:10.4103/0019-5413.139829Additional ReadingFields KB.Fibular fractures. UpToDate.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Canton G, Sborgia A, Maritan G, et al.Fibula fractures management.World J Orthop. 2021;12(5):254-269. doi:10.5312/wjo.v12.i5.254Kortekangas T, Haapasalo H, Flinkkilä T, et al.Three week versus six week immobilisation for stable Weber B type ankle fractures: randomised, multicentre, non-inferiority clinical trial.BMJ. 2019;364:k5432. doi:10.1136/bmj.k5432Goost H, Wimmer MD, Barg A, Kabir K, Valderrabano V, Burger C.Fractures of the ankle joint: investigation and treatment options.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2014;111(21):377-88. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2014.0377Kröger I, Müßig J, Brand A, et al.Recovery of gait and function during the first six months after tibial shaft fractures.Gait & Posture. 2022;91:66-72. doi:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2021.09.199Mehta SS, Rees K, Cutler L, Mangwani J.Understanding risks and complications in the management of ankle fractures.Indian J Orthop.2014;48(5):445-52. doi:10.4103/0019-5413.139829Additional ReadingFields KB.Fibular fractures. UpToDate.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Canton G, Sborgia A, Maritan G, et al.Fibula fractures management.World J Orthop. 2021;12(5):254-269. doi:10.5312/wjo.v12.i5.254Kortekangas T, Haapasalo H, Flinkkilä T, et al.Three week versus six week immobilisation for stable Weber B type ankle fractures: randomised, multicentre, non-inferiority clinical trial.BMJ. 2019;364:k5432. doi:10.1136/bmj.k5432Goost H, Wimmer MD, Barg A, Kabir K, Valderrabano V, Burger C.Fractures of the ankle joint: investigation and treatment options.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2014;111(21):377-88. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2014.0377Kröger I, Müßig J, Brand A, et al.Recovery of gait and function during the first six months after tibial shaft fractures.Gait & Posture. 2022;91:66-72. doi:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2021.09.199Mehta SS, Rees K, Cutler L, Mangwani J.Understanding risks and complications in the management of ankle fractures.Indian J Orthop.2014;48(5):445-52. doi:10.4103/0019-5413.139829
Canton G, Sborgia A, Maritan G, et al.Fibula fractures management.World J Orthop. 2021;12(5):254-269. doi:10.5312/wjo.v12.i5.254
Kortekangas T, Haapasalo H, Flinkkilä T, et al.Three week versus six week immobilisation for stable Weber B type ankle fractures: randomised, multicentre, non-inferiority clinical trial.BMJ. 2019;364:k5432. doi:10.1136/bmj.k5432
Goost H, Wimmer MD, Barg A, Kabir K, Valderrabano V, Burger C.Fractures of the ankle joint: investigation and treatment options.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2014;111(21):377-88. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2014.0377
Kröger I, Müßig J, Brand A, et al.Recovery of gait and function during the first six months after tibial shaft fractures.Gait & Posture. 2022;91:66-72. doi:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2021.09.199
Mehta SS, Rees K, Cutler L, Mangwani J.Understanding risks and complications in the management of ankle fractures.Indian J Orthop.2014;48(5):445-52. doi:10.4103/0019-5413.139829
Fields KB.Fibular fractures. UpToDate.
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