
What is the recovery time for a broken tibia?
- Change of full leg cast often to below knee cast.
- Knee bending activity getting the quadriceps restored.
- Gait re-education.
- Slowly increase weight bearing as pain allows. General upper body and overall fitness.
What is the treatment for a broken tibia?
Treatment
- Setting the leg. Initial treatment for a broken leg usually begins in an emergency room or urgent care clinic. ...
- Immobilization. Restricting the movement of a broken bone in your leg is critical to proper healing. ...
- Medications. ...
- Therapy. ...
- Surgical and other procedures. ...
What causes tibia bone pain?
Shin splints
- Overview. The term "shin splints" refers to pain along the shin bone (tibia) — the large bone in the front of your lower leg.
- Symptoms. If you have shin splints, you might notice tenderness, soreness or pain along the inner side of your shinbone and mild swelling in your lower leg.
- Causes. ...
- Risk factors
- Prevention. ...
Why is my tibia hurting?
Your doctor will consider several factors when treating a tibia fracture, including:
- extent of the injury, taking into account the amount of damage to soft tissues
- the reasons for the injury
- overall health and medical history
- personal preferences
- any other fractures, such as a fibula fracture

Can you walk on a broken tibia?
Can you still walk with a fractured tibia? In most cases, the answer is no. Walking after a tibia fracture can make your injury worse and may cause further damage to the surrounding muscles, ligaments and skin. Walking on a fractured tibia is also likely to be extremely painful.
How is a fractured tibia treated?
Currently, the method most surgeons use for treating tibia fractures is intramedullary nailing. During this procedure, a specially designed metal rod is inserted into the canal of the tibia. The rod passes across the fracture to keep it in position. The intramedullary nail is screwed to the bone at both ends.
How long does it take to recover from a broken tibia?
Recovery time for a tibia fracture typically takes 4-6 months to heal completely. If the fracture is open or comminuted, healing time may take longer. Your doctor will often prescribe medications for pain-relief for a short period of time after the injury or surgery.
How do you know if your tibia is fractured?
What are the main symptoms?intense pain in your lower leg.difficulty walking, running, or kicking.numbness or tingling in your foot.inability to bear weight on your injured leg.deformity in your lower leg, knee, shin, or ankle area.bone protruding through a skin break.limited bending motion in and around your knee.More items...
Is a broken tibia serious?
A broken tibia-fibula is a fracture in the lower leg that happens when a fall or blow places more pressure on the bones than they can withstand. A tibia-fibula fracture is a serious injury that requires prompt immediate medical attention. With timely and proper treatment, a broken tibia-fibula can heal completely.
What is the fastest way to heal a broken tibia?
The three key steps to faster bone healing are:Alignment of the broken bone fragments.Stability and support at the fracture site through immobilization.Healthy lifestyle choices that promote healing.
Can you bend your knee with a tibial plateau fracture?
Can I bend my knee after tibial plateau fracture? Yes, bending the knee can start immediately after tibial plateau fracture if you did not have surgery. If you had surgery then you can start bending the knee to 90 degrees 1 week after surgery.
Can tibia fracture heal without surgery?
Distal tibial metaphyseal fractures usually heal well after setting them without surgery and applying a cast. However, there is a risk of full or partial early closure of the growth plate. This may lead to a growth arrest in the form of leg length discrepancy or other deformity.
Do you need surgery for a broken tibia?
Surgery may be needed to fix a broken tibia. Open fractures need to be cleaned and treated right away, since they have a risk of infection. There are different surgical methods that may be used depending on where the tibia is broken, how severe the break is, and if other parts of the leg were also damaged.
What does it mean when your tibia hurts?
Shin splints occur when the muscles and bones in the lower part of the leg pull and tug at their insertion on the shin bone (the tibia) and it becomes inflamed (irritated and swollen) and painful. Athletes often have shin pain because they put repeated stress on the shin bone, muscles and connective tissues.
What is worse a fracture or a break?
Some people assume that fractured bones are more serious than broken bones, while others assume it's the other way around. But the truth is that these terms are used interchangeably, and they have the same meaning to medical professionals.
What is the Tibia
Tibia is one of the two long leg bones of the lower leg. It is a weight-bearing bone, and also known as the shinbone or shankbone.
Where is the Tibia Located
As mentioned, the tibia is located in the lower leg, extending from the knee to the ankle. More precisely, it is situated on the distal side of the femur and the proximal side of the talus of the foot. The tibia is also located medially to the other bone of the lower leg, called the fibula.
Anatomy – Parts of the Tibia
It is a long bone with two ends, proximal and distal, and an intervening shaft. The part lying on the side of the knee is known as the proximal tibia, whereas the part lying on the side of the foot is known as the distal tibia.
Muscles Attached
Tibia has many muscles attached to it. Some originate from the bone, whereas some get inserted into it.
What are the three parts of the tibia?
Like other long bones, there are three parts of the tibia: proximal, shaft, and distal. The proximal part participates in the knee joint, whereas the distal part contributes to the ankle joint. The tibial shaft on the other hand offers many sites for leg muscle attachment. Key facts about the tibia.
Where is the medial border of the tibia?
The medial border is most prominent on the medial aspect of the middle third of the of tibia. Tibia is only one of the many bones making up the human body.
What is the bone at the distal end of the tibia called?
The medial surface of the distal end features a bony extension called the medial malleolus. It articulates with the talus within the ankle joint.
What is the anterior intercondylar area?
The anterior intercondylar area features attachment sites for many structures. Anterior to posterior they are: the anterior horn of the medial meniscus, the anterior cruciate ligament, and the anterior horn of the lateral meniscus. The posterior intercondylar area also has facets for structures to attach.
What is the tibia in 2021?
Last reviewed: June 17, 2021. Reading time: 13 minutes. The tibia (shin bone) is a long bone of the leg, found medial to the fibula. It is also the the weight bearing bone of the leg, which is why it is the second largest bone in the body after the femur.
What are the three surfaces of the tibial shaft?
Shaft. The tibial shaft is triangular in cross-section and so it has three surfaces (pos terior, medial, and lateral) and three borders (anterior, interosseous, and medial). The medial surface, commonly called the shin, is bound by the anterior and medial borders.
Which joint is the superior surface of the lateral and medial condyles of the femur?
The knee joint is certainly something that deserves special attention. Its articular surfaces are the superior surfaces of lateral and medial condyles of the tibia, and the inferior surfaces of the lateral and medial condyles of the femur. At the distal end of the tibia is another major joint: the ankle joint.
What is the tibia?
The tibia is a long bone, which means it is a limb bone that is longer than it is wide. Long bones are found on the upper and lower limbs, fingers, and toes. Long bones contain bone marrow in a cavity running the length of the shaft.
What is the anterior portion of the tibia called?
The anterior portion of the top of the tibia is called the tibial tuberosity, where the patella (knee cap) is attached via the patellar ligament. The bottom (inferior) of the tibia rests on the top and to the medial aspect of the talus.
What is a tibial hemimelia?
Tibial Hemimelia. Tibial hemimelia is a rare condition affecting the development of the tibia, usually on one limb only. 5 It is a term that covers many different presentations of the tibia, fibula, knee, and ankle. In some cases, the tibia may be bowed, called tibial bowing, with or without bowing of the fibula as well.
What is the tibial torsion?
Tibial Torsion. The tibia is the main foundation of the lower limb and is mostly responsible for the position and function of the foot and gait. Internal tibial torsion is a congenital birth defect that causes a rotation of the tibia toward the medial aspect.
How long is the tibia?
The tibia is about 36 cm long on average. Tibial malformations are noticeable defects of the lower limb that may come in several varieties. In an otherwise healthy individual, fractures of the tibia are the most common injury affecting this bone.
What is the shin bone?
Anatomy. There are two bones in the lower leg, below the knee. The larger of the two bones is the tibia. It is the shin bone and bears the majority of weight between the knee and the ankle. Lateral to (on the outer side of) the tibia is the fibula, a smaller long bone that provides stability and assists with rotation of the ankle.
Why is the tibia sponge-like?
The ends of the tibia have spongy bone, so-called because it contains pockets of circulation and marrow that appear to be sponge-like under a microscope. The entire length of the tibia is covered in a layer of compact bone, which gives the bone its strength. Parts of the Lower Extremity of the Body.
Bones of Legs: Introduction
Legs provide support to the body while standing, and are modified to ensure the walking of the animals. The lower limb of the body is divided into three major regions. The thigh is foremost and is that portion of the lower limb which is located between the hip joint and knee joint.
Femur Bone (Thigh Bone)
Femur or thigh bone is present in between the hip joint and the knee joint. It is the longest and the heaviest bone in the human body. The head of the femur bone is spherical in shape and fits into the socket of the hip bone, forming the ball and socket joint of the hip.
Tibia Bone (Shin Bone)
The tibia or the shin bone is present in the middle of, and acts as a bridge in between the two bones of the lower leg, below the knee joint. The upper end of the bone is broad and flat, forming two areas for joining with the femur bone at the knee joint.
Fibula Bone
The fibula bone is a long slender bone present with the tibia in the lower part of the leg, below the knee joint. The head of the fibula bone is joined to the head of the tibia bone.
Patella (Knee cap)
The patella (kneecap) is the largest sesamoid bone of the body. A sesamoid bone is a type of short bone. The patella is found in the tendon of the quadriceps femoris muscle, the large muscle of the thigh that passes across the knee to attach to the tibia.
Things to Remember
The bones of the legs originate below the hip joint. The entire leg region comprises two joints, the knee joint, and the ankle joint.
Sample Questions
Ans. The bones of the foot are divided into three main categories. The posterior (Front part) foot is formed by the seven tarsal bones. The mid-foot has the five metatarsal bones. The toes contain the phalanges.
What is the tibia?
The tibia is the main bone of the lower leg, form ing what is more commonly known as the shin. It expands at its proximal and distal ends; articulating at the knee and ankle joints respectively. The tibia is the second largest bone in the body and it is a key weight-bearing structure. In this article, we shall look at anatomy ...
Where is the fibula bound to the tibia?
On the posterior surface of the tibia, there is a groove through which the tendon of tibialis posterior passes. Laterally is the fibular notch, where the fibula is bound to the tibia – forming the distal tibiofibular joint.
What is a fracture of the proximal tibia called?
Fractures of the proximal tibia are known as tibial plateau fractures; the condyles may be broken and injury to the menisci and ligaments of the knee is not uncommon. These fractures are classified using the Schatzker classification, and if very displaced will likely required operative management.
What is the distal end of the tibia?
Distal. The distal end of the tibia widens to assist with weight-bearing. The medial malleolus is a bony projection continuing inferiorly on the medial aspect of the tibia. It articulates with the tarsal bones to form part of the ankle joint.
Which structure articulates with the femoral condyles to form a flat surface?
The proximal tibia is widened by the medial and lateral condyles, which aid in weight-bearing. The condyles form a flat surface, known as the tibial plateau. This structure articulates with the femoral condyles to form the key articulation of the knee joint.
What are the three surfaces of the tibia?
The shaft of the tibia is prism-shaped, with three borders and three surfaces; anterior, posterior and lateral. For brevity, only the anatomically and clinically important borders/surfaces are mentioned here. Anterior border – palpable subcutaneously down the anterior surface of the leg as the shin.
What condyles articulate with the femoral condyles to form the knee joint?
The tibial condyles articulate with the femoral condyles to form the knee joint. caption] Shaft. The shaft of the tibia is prism-shaped, with three borders and three surfaces; anterior, posterior and lateral. For brevity, only the anatomically and clinically important borders/surfaces are mentioned here.
What are the three surfaces of the tibia?
These three borders form three surfaces; the medial, lateral and posterior.
Which side of the tibia is the distal end?
The distal end of the tibia is much smaller than the proximal end and presents five surfaces; it is prolonged downward on its medial side as a strong pyramidal process, the medial malleolus. The lower extremity of the tibia together with the fibula and talus forms the ankle joint .
What are the four joints that make up the tibia?
Joints. The tibia is a part of four joints; the knee, ankle, superior and inferior tibiofibular joint . In the knee the tibia forms one of the two articulations with the femur, often referred to as the tibiofemoral components of the knee joint. This is the weightbearing part of the knee joint.
How much force does the tibia take?
The tibia has been modeled as taking an axial force during walking that is up to 4.7 bodyweight. Its bending moment in the sagittal plane in the late stance phase is up to 71.6 bodyweight times millimetre.
What is the anterior surface of the condyles?
The anterior surfaces of the condyles are continuous with one another, forming a large somewhat flattened area; this area is triangular, broad above, and perforated by large vascular foramina; narrow below where it ends in a large oblong elevation, the tuberosity of the tibia, which gives attachment to the patellar ligament; a bursa intervenes between the deep surface of the ligament and the part of the bone immediately above the tuberosity.
What is the ossification of the tibia?
Anterior aspect. The tibia is ossified from three centers; a primary center for the diaphysis (shaft) and a secondary center for each epiphysis (extremity). Ossification begins in the center of the body, about the seventh week of fetal life, and gradually extends toward the extremities.
Which bone is connected to the fibula?
The tibia is connected to the fibula by the interosseous membrane of the leg, forming a type of fibrous joint called a syndesmosis with very little movement. The tibia is named for the flute tibia. It is the second largest bone in the human body next to the femur. The leg bones are the strongest long bones as they support the rest of the body.
