Lower Limb Fracture Treatment | Lower Limb Bone Fracture Surgery

Lower limb fractures are commonly experienced by elderly people due to the fact that their bones are already weakened. These types of injuries are often connected to a higher percentage of morbidity and most of the time the injured person will need long days of recuperation at the hospital. Athletes are also very prone to lower limb fractures especially those whose sports require the use of their legs like football and running.

Lower Limb Fractures Types

• Tibia and Fibula Fractures. These are two of the most common types of lower limb injuries. They are usually caused by blunt trauma. The extent of injury is dependent on the severity of the damage on the soft tissue.

• Ankle fracture. This is the fracture of the lower limb and the ankle is broken due to indirect forces such as the foot being forced externally to rotate, revert, or invert from the section of the tibia. The most significant element in assessing ankle injuries is the ankle mortice level of stability. In cases when the mortice is kept intact, this means the ankle was not abnormally rotated too much.

• Tibial plateau fractures. This type of lower limb injury is caused by axial loading of the valgus force that was applied on the tibial area. This is commonly caused by falling in high places or road accidents wherein the knee was forced in a valgus pattern.

• Patella fracture. This can be caused by either indirect or direct trauma. If the fracture of the patella is only minimally displaced, the use of support objects such as plastic cylinders will be used for four or more weeks. Displaced transverse type fractures, on the other hand, may need internal fixation techniques such as the K-wire insertion together with the tension banding.

Diagnosis

The first step in diagnosing lower limb injuries is for the doctor to inquire about the patient’s injury and medical history. Physical examination will be conducted as well to see if there are adjoining ligaments or joints that could have been affected by the injury. Some tests, which are common for physical examinations are lifting, range of motion, and flexibility activities. X-rays will be recommended so that your doctor can make a final assessment of the injury. In some cases wherein there is the possibility of hairline cracks, MRI scans will be recommended instead of an X-ray because the MRI can produce a clearer, magnified and sharp imaging of the bone’s surface. Rehabilitation or rehab is crucial.

Causes

• Direct, indirect, or blunt trauma

• Falling on the knee

• Road and sports accidents

• Accidental rotation of the knee due to slipping or stumbling

Lower Limb Fractures Symptoms

• Extreme lower limb pain when the injured area is moved

• Lower Limb Swelling

• Numbness

• Mild fever

Lower Limb Fractures Treatment

Treatments for lower limb bone fractures may be external or internal. For tibia and fibula fractures, the most commonly used treatment is the application of plaster cast. After the plaster is applied, a pin will be inserted inside the plaster for supplementary immobilization of the injured area. Severe cases may need the use of intramedullary devices that will be implanted on the bone. Most cases, however, only require the need for external fixation techniques. As for the patella fractures, external aides like casts will be used especially for minimally displaced bones while the internal insertion of wires is required for the severely displaced fractures.

For tibial plateau fractures, most of these cases need internal fixation because they are often connected with additional trauma on other parts of the body that may need supplementary treatments. In using internal fixation for treating lower limb fracture, analgesics, animetics, and opiates are given to patients so that they can deal with the pain. Ankle fractures are most of the times considered as mild injuries so the use of casts, slings, and braces is already enough. Moreover, lower limb fractures do not need immediate emergency treatment so administering first aid is encouraged. One example of an effective type of supportive therapy is the application of an ice pack, which can help a lot in decreasing the pain and swelling of the injured area.

Lower limb fracture healing time or recovery time: It can take more than 2 months to heal.

Prevention Of Lower Limb Bone Injury:

Lower limb fractures and injuries can be easily prevented by using protective gear on the legs and ankles when doing highly strenuous activities such as jogging or sports like football. People who constantly train and do workouts must have brief warm-ups before the start of their sessions. This can help a lot in preparing the muscles and bones with the incoming stress.

When to Call a Doctor

The help of the physician is necessary when the injured area already exhibits some obvious symptoms like swelling and deformity. Another serious symptom is when the individual feels pain even when the affected area is at rest. If there is an open fracture, call the emergency hotline as soon as possible.