Tibial Fractures

The tibia, or shinbone, is the most common fractured long bone in your body. The long bones include the femur, humerus, tibia, and fibula. A tibial shaft fracture occurs along the length of the bone, below the knee and above the ankle.

Because it typically takes a major force to break a long bone, other injuries often occur with these types of fractures.

Cause

High-energy collisions, such as an automobile or motorcycle crash, are common causes of tibial shaft fractures. In cases like these, the bone can be broken into several pieces (comminuted fracture).

Sports injuries, such as a fall while skiing or running into another player during soccer, are lower-energy injuries that can cause tibial shaft fractures. These fractures are typically caused by a twisting force and result in an oblique or spiral type of fracture.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of a tibial shaft fracture are:

• Pain
• Inability to walk or bear weight on the leg
• Deformity or instability of the leg
• Bone “tenting” the skin or protruding through a break in the skin
• Occasional loss of feeling in the foot

Source from AAOS , Viewmedica , WebMD