# Broken Fibula



## Ouroboros (Jan 20, 2008)

Broke my fibula about 2 weeks ago, attempting to skate(board) after many years...Caught a little pothole, rolled my ankle and heard the snap. This all happened a week before I was set to go to Europe for the month.. 
Injury wise I got pretty lucky though. Only the fibula broke clean. Doc gave me a boot and some crutches and said come back in 4 weeks. I'm definitely starting to make progress, swelling has stopped, if not slowly receding. Obviously I'll be off the bike for a while. Anybody have the same injury? How long ya reckon till I can hit some dirt again? Another thing, I use clipless. Has anyone foregone clipless because of ROM problems with this grade fracture? I've searched some ankle injury threads, but most of them sound like much heavier injuries, i.e completely tearing everything, broken tibias, surgeries, etc...


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## mtnbikej (Sep 6, 2001)

I broke mine on New Years, along with my tibia. I did have surgery with plates and screws. I was non-weight bearing for 10 weeks, but I also spent time in a cast.

I too use clipless pedals. The first couple of rides were a little difficult clipping out. This had mostly to do with my lack of range of motion in my ankle. Once my range of motion increased, clipping out was no longer an issue.

I did loosen the tension on my shimano pedals at first, but am mow to the point where I need to tighten them back up.

I was released to resume everyday activities/ride on April 19.

Don't rush it. Allow your leg to heal properly.


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## Miami_Son (May 6, 2010)

This is what I did to my left leg in 2005:









Had this done to my right ankle in 2008 and redone in 2009:









These were motocross injuries. I stopped riding MTB all during that time and have only recently gotten back on the bicycle (still ride moto). I've had to reduce my pedal tension because twisting movements are painful, but I can still ride. Definitely have some ROM issues, especially on the right since the ankle is now fused. I guess if I could give up moto I might have fewer issues, but...not happening. Oh, and I'm 51, so healing comes much more slowly. DO whatever your doctor tells you as far as rehab and don't push yourself too soon. If the passion is there, you'll be back riding in no time. I rarely notice the pain while riding (endorphins, adrenalin?), but sometimes there's hell to pay after because I often overdo it, particularly on the motocross track.


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## Waxtrax84 (May 29, 2010)

In 2006 I broke my fibula skateboarding also, instead of a roll my foot was twisted outwards and dislocated + broken. Plate and screws and some random damage which makes it so I can't lift my left big toe (stubs alot if I walk barefoot now.) All in all it has been good since, except I rolled it landing on a friends foot in basketball last week...


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## IAmtnbikr (May 17, 2008)

Broke mine Jan 13th playing ice hockey with a cheapshot from behind with 2 min left in a game we were winning 9-2, argh. Drove myself the hour drive home afterwards and went to the doctor next day. Knew it was broken; heard/felt the bone break. Surgery Jan 15 and now have plate/4 screws in left fibula for the Weber B fracture. Only had the boot thankfully and not a cast. Orth surgeon knew I wanted to play hockey/bike again and used the smaller plate with less screws as he felt I'd heal up fine and said I'd be happier with a smaller incision. Was off work for 1 week and back I went; drove me nuts doing nothing. Drove my manual trans at the 5 week point and also ditched crutches then. 5 1/2 wk point I lost the boot and was back in a normal shoe. Skated on it at 9 weeks albeit lightly with no full weight or hockey stops, lol. Have been mtb and road biking a lot lately as part of my summer plan to rehab and be ready for the ice again this fall. It's still a bit sore now and then and stiffens up but it is getting better all the time. Make sure you do as much as possible to exercise it within reason. I pushed myself as hard as I could especially after reading of others having pain/ROM issues months later. Talk to your doctor and let him know what your goals are and he'll tell you what you can and can't do from a medical standpoint. PS, I'm no kid either... turned 50 a couple weeks ago.

My momento:


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## FatTireGoose (Jun 19, 2009)

Wow, this is gonna turn into the 50yr old with broken fibula thread. Haha. I snapped mine trying to save a low-side on my supermoto 3 1/2 wks ago. Doc recommended surgery to install a 5" plate and 8 screws, also had soft tissue damage on opposing side that required internal stitches. First 10 days were bandages only after surgery to moniter the incisions. Have had a hard cast on for almost 2 wks now with promise of a removable boot by next Monday. I'm doing all the excersise I can manage while being laid up to reduce the amount of rehab once I'm free of the cast. By that I mean 30min of upper body with weights and strapping my cast to the pedal of my stationary bike for at least 15min daily. I also ride MX as well as mtnbikes and supermoto, but its the mtnbiking I'm hoping will come back with the least amount of compromise.


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## Ouroboros (Jan 20, 2008)

Ouch. Yup, these all look/sound worse than what I'm dealing with. For what it's worth, I'm 21-hoping that translates to quicker recovery. Healing vibes all around...


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## gonzoy5 (Jul 20, 2007)

I'm 12 weeks into this:









I'm able to walk with a limp. Limited ROM right now but gets better every day. Those 2 big screws are coming out on the 10th of this month so I expect to make bigger strides in recovery. I'm still using crutches, but only as a precaution. Dr advised it would be complicated if I broke any of those screws. Been on the trainer a few times while clipped in and it's tricky to clip out, but once those screws come out and I can do some serious therapy I think i'll be ok. I'll keep updating.


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## Miami_Son (May 6, 2010)

Gonzoy, did you break your tibia, too? If not, why the long screws? I shattered mine, 7 total fractures, 5 displaced, that's why I got so many. I'm thinking of having it all taken out because it is starting to bother me.


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## Single Track MTBer (Mar 21, 2005)

broke my fibula in 08 on a skate board. I had to where the boot for 4 weeks. 3 weeks with crutches and then one week with out. I didn't MTB for 6 weeks. Not too bad really. Didn't need any surgery, it was a clean break.


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## gonzoy5 (Jul 20, 2007)

Miami_Son said:


> Gonzoy, did you break your tibia, too? If not, why the long screws? I shattered mine, 7 total fractures, 5 displaced, that's why I got so many. I'm thinking of having it all taken out because it is starting to bother me.


Didn't do anythign to the tibia. Long screws were to let the ligaments heal. I'm sure the Dr knew I'd be back on the bike too soon. The thought of breaking the 2 has kept me pretty tame until they come out this week.


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## norcom (Feb 22, 2007)

Hey, I got one of those!

Been over a year since I posted in this forum. Took me about 4 months to recover and about a year to get back. I've put over 2000 miles on those screws now and still rolling! 

Weird part is that the last 3 weeks it's been nothing but rain in FL and the leg started to hurt again! It hasn't hurt in over a year, nothing EVER and all of the sudden just hurts. Totally sucks, no huge pain but just annoying kind of nagging in the leg... weird..


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## Miami_Son (May 6, 2010)

I had the fibula plate removed 2 years later because the screw heads were bothering me and I broke one and the jagged end was digging into the tissue. I was hoping to leave the larger tibia one in, but it has really been bothering me for the past year. I think it will be coming out in a month or so.:madman:


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## norcom (Feb 22, 2007)

Miami_Son said:


> I had the fibula plate removed 2 years later because the screw heads were bothering me and I broke one and the jagged end was digging into the tissue. I was hoping to leave the larger tibia one in, but it has really been bothering me for the past year. I think it will be coming out in a month or so.:madman:


How did you break the screws? Doc said mine was permanent. Any issues after getting it removed?


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## Miami_Son (May 6, 2010)

norcom said:


> How did you break the screws? Doc said mine was permanent. Any issues after getting it removed?


I'm a very bad patient. Had my surgery on July 8th, 2005, was back on the motocross track by end of October. 
Feels fine in the back where the short plate was. Long plate is really bothering me, now. Got a broken screw there, too.


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## FatTireGoose (Jun 19, 2009)

norcom said:


> Took me about 4 months to recover and about a year to get back.


Wow, that's really discouraging to hear. It looks like we've got/had almost the same break and plate and I've been only one month since the surgery. I went from a hard cast to a
walking boot and two crutches to one yesterday and became very hopeful I'd be training again in a couple weeks and back in the saddle in another month from now. All I figured was two months total that I'd be away from the mtnbike. Maybe not, huh?


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## Miami_Son (May 6, 2010)

Don't be discouraged. I'd say his experience is not typical of most fibula breaks. Like I said, as bad as mine was I was back on a dirt bike in little over 4 months.


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## FatTireGoose (Jun 19, 2009)

Miami_Son said:


> Don't be discouraged. I'd say his experience is not typical of most fibula breaks. Like I said, as bad as mine was I was back on a dirt bike in little over 4 months.


I ride moto too (that's how I did this) and I'm thinking that'll be easier to get back into sooner than any pedal action. How long before you were comfortable on the mtnbike again?


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## Miami_Son (May 6, 2010)

DirtyGoose said:


> How long before you were comfortable on the mtnbike again?


I'll let you know when I get there.


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## McNewbie (Apr 5, 2008)

yeah i'm on the couch recovering from the same thing right now. i was riding a motor scooter, ran across some grass up onto a sidewalk at an angle, the front wheel kept going, the back wheel hung, which made me crank the throttle wide open and it jumped and gashed my ankle pretty bad. i didnt even know it was broken until days later when it was bothering me so bad i went to the ER at 1:30 in the morning thinking i was bleeding inside (they'd stitched me closed without doing anything to the cut vein)

no pictures of the xray though. i haven't even seen them myself, i ought to ask


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## jeffscott (May 10, 2006)

I am missing a 6 inch piece of my left fibula...

ROM is the biggest battle.


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## FatTireGoose (Jun 19, 2009)

jeffscott said:


> I am missing a 6 inch piece of my left fibula...


How did THAT happen? :eekster:


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## jeffscott (May 10, 2006)

DirtyGoose said:


> How did THAT happen? :eekster:


Motor bike and a compartment hemorage....they cut out the fibula to give more room for blood flow cause it swells up so much...


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

I broke my tib/fib in July '07. I was off the bike for about four months, and off the mountain bike for six months. Mine was pretty bad - it was a spiral fracture of both bones in the right leg. I ended up in an external fixator for 11 weeks (which SUCKED, though it did offer the benefit of open air to my leg) then a cast for 5 or 6 weeks, then the physical therapy started and I was given the velcro boot. My doctor said that 20 years ago this would have likely ended in amputation 

Exactly one year post break I was riding the trail where I had gotten hurt and have ridden it repeatedly since. Three years later, with the exception of some sensitivity in my leg where the break was and the screws still are, and maybe some aches every once in a while, I'd never know I had destroyed my leg like I did.

Here's what it looked like the day of surgery. The bar in my heel at the bottom and the big thing at the top is the external fixator frame:










Here's how it looked six months later:


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## g-bus (Aug 13, 2007)

I broke my fibula about 6 weeks ago. Pretty mild fracture, just rolled my ankle to the outside and sheared off a little piece of the end of the bone. Cast with no weight-bearing for 4 weeks, then put me in a boot, which I was supposed to use for another 4 weeks but I ditched the boot and got a brace. I'm walking OK, only a minor limp when I'm barefoot, most of the swelling and bruising is gone, but still a bit sore and limited movement. My ortho really wasn't very helpful as far as rehabbing this thing, just told me "to write my ABCs". What are some of the exercises/PT you have done that helped your recovery? I set up my trainer the other day so I could work on the ankle a little, but that's not going to help too much with the ROM issue. Its looking to be a good snowboard season this year so I'm trying to get this thing working again ASAP. Thanks!


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