Nonsurgical treatment is also recommended for adults with poor overall health, fragile or chronically infected skin, less active patients and in fractures with near perfect alignment. In children, many types of tibial shaft fractures can be treated with casts. Tibial Shaft Fracture X-Ray Non-Surgical Treatment for Tibial Shaft FracturesĪlthough most broken tibias in adults are treated with surgery, some fracture patterns and types do not need surgery for the bone to heal. A CT (Computed Tomography) scan is often ordered if the break extends into the knee or ankle joint. Often two or more x-rays are taken to show the injury pattern. This helps doctors and patients make an informed decision on treatment. X-rays are used to evaluate the location and severity of the broken bone. This test may feel like your doctor is trying to torture you when you already have a broken bone but this exam is very important. Signs of this syndrome are severe pain with stretch of the big toe, loss of sensation in the foot or pain out of proportion to the injury itself. Eventually the muscle will die if this goes untreated. This occurs when the pressure in the leg gets too high for blood and oxygen to circulate. Patients with a broken tibia are at risk for a serious condition called compartment syndrome. Often, the bone tries to poke out of the skin or “tent.” If this is not corrected, the skin can die or the bone can eventually cut the skin. The doctor will look for any open wounds over the injury as these usually require surgery. Important nerves and blood vessels run next to this bone and can be injured when it break. Physical examination is important in the evaluation of these injuries. Many important muscles also attach to this bone, which help the thigh, leg and foot muscles work properly. It must heal straight to allow these joints to work well. It is a vital part of the knee and ankle joints. The tibia is the most important lower leg bone because it supports your body weight as you walk, run and jump. Reproduced with permission from OrthoInfo. John Zebrack, MD General Orthopedic Surgery Jeffrey Webster, MD General Orthopedic Surgery Nichole Joslyn, MD Hand & Upper Extremity Thomas Christensen, MD Hand & Upper Extremity James Christensen, MD Hand & Upper Extremity Nikola Babovic, MD Hand & Upper Extremity
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