Treatments for a Broken Fibula

Your lower legs are made of the tibia and fibula. The fibula is the thin, long bone in your lower leg that connects to your knee at the top and your ankle at the bottom. It is slightly curved and does not support your body weight. This bone can break when you severely twist your calf muscle or twist your ankle during physical activity.

Types of Breaks

• The four main types of broken bones, or fractures, are compound, simple, complete and incomplete. Compound/open fractures occur when the bone breaks and breaks through the skin; simple fractures occur when the bone breaks but does not break the skin; complete fractures occur when the bone breaks into two or more pieces; and incomplete fractures occur when the bone just cracks.

Simple Fracture Treatment

• Simple fractures occur when the bone breaks but does not puncture the skin. The doctor may immobilize the lower leg in a cast or fix it with an elastic sock.

Compound and Complete Fracture Treatments

• Compound fractures occur when the bone breaks and pierces the skin and/or muscle and complete fractures involve shattered bone. If the bone is shattered, surgery is required to fix the bone and stitch-up the wound.

Minor Cracks

• Incomplete fractures can be treated by elevating the lower leg, applying ice at 20-minute intervals and staying off the injured leg. Using heat treatments such as hot tubs, heat lamps or heating pads may make the injury feel better.

Medicines

• Depending on the severity of the pain, a doctor may prescribe narcotic drugs to dull the pain, but most people can treat the injury using over-the-counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.