Broken Fibula

[mathauck0814]

Not certain this is the right forum for this, but here goes:

I broke my fibula diving two weeks ago (actually on entry). It was a clean break with no complications (not radial, no fragments, just two halves of a fibula) that has been surgically repaired with a small plate and some hardware (e.g., screws). Doc says that the bone will be healed in ~6 weeks from the surgery.

So here's the question - I have a house rented in Curacao and planned to do some diving in September. On the day of my arrival in Curacao it will have been 5 weeks and 4 days since my corrective surgery. Will I be able to dive? I'm more concerned with the additional weight of the equipment on that leg and the stress of finning than anything.

Does anyone have experience recovering from this type of injury and/or what my diving capabilities will be after approximately 6 weeks of healing time? Or is the vacation a bust?

Thx,
Mat

 

[mike_s]

are you walking any on the leg now?


The Fibula is the "small bone" of the leg. (for the rest of the folks reading that don't know which one it is).

I cracked mine skiing YEARS ago. since it was cracked and not broken, the doctor just gave me a supportive brace/plate to wear. He told me that it supported very little weight compared to the Tibula . two weeks after, I was doing so well that I didn't even think I had an injury...

Of course I found that not to be true when I was horsing around with someone and shattered it.


Even after I shattered it, I was still able to walk on it after the swelling went down and a few extra days.

It's healed now with no issues.


Of course your injury/surgery was a little different, but I got along just fine a few weeks after the break. I was limited that I couldn't do real physical activities like play basketball, etc.

But you should be good to go based on what I went through. I still would "baby it" all you can though. No sense ruining a vacation by over stressing it.

 

[TimKy]

You are going to need some professional advice here. I cracked mine while training for a marathon several years ago and my orthopedic surgeon also told me it was not considered a weight bearing bone. But I seem to remember him saying the real issue is avoiding a twisting motion while healing. Again, it's been a couple of years, my memory is vague and mine was cracked versus surgically repaired so your mileage may vary. I would definitely ask your doc.

 

[TSandM]

This question is best addressed to your orthopedic surgeon. I would assume that you will have follow-up appointments, where they will do x-rays and monitor the progress of the healing. Most fractures heal well in a normal amount of time, but some do not, and it is not always easy to predict which ones won't do well.

Some of this depends on where the fracture is located. The majority of stress on the distal fibula is stabilizing the ankle joint -- holding the talus in the mortise formed by the tibia and fibula, so it can rock smoothly back and forth as the foot moves. Putting a fin on the foot strongly augments the stresses on the ankle, as the resistance to the water is so much increased -- therefore, I would say that the fracture should look VERY solid before you do any significant swimming with fins on.

 

[mksmith713]

This is a "Rule of Thumb" response.
You should be able to dive in four weeks.
DO NOT take Motrin or any other non steriodal anti-inflamatory medicine as it inhibits bone healing.
The fibula is the smaller (circumferentially as well as lengthwise) of the two bones of the lower leg and in the grand scheme of things is insignificant.
You would function just fine even if you didn't have a fibula.
Though your fib was fractured...it was surgically repaired with a plate and screws which reinforce it making it (at the 4 week mark) as strong as if not stronger than it was before the injury.
I would consult whomever did your surgery during your two week follow up to confirm this.
On the outside chance he says you can't go....I'll make the supreme sacrifice and go in your place.....:angel2:

 

[mathauck0814]

Agreed inre: talking to the doc. My issue is that the doc I have is apparently clueless about diving and has offered nothing in the way of confidence in his responses to my queries. I have been back to see him and have xrays taken (and will continue to do so) so monitoring the bone's healing process is definitely right; just curious if anyone else had experience in this area.

10 days post break I was able to walk without discomfort, so I guess I'll just continue to monitor it. Worst case scenario I'll rent a scooter ;-)

 

[Jwinter]

You really need to talk with your doctor or a dive doctor. I am still healing from my fibula fracture (january). I had the hardware removed and have had a lot of tissue problems since the removal, but able to dive. The best thing for you to talk to your doctor to make sure you will not have future issues.

 

[Cruisin Home]

do everything in moderation. If you plan on doing a very relaxed easy entry divng then I really see no problem. On the other hand I wouldnt do a beach entry with high surf and rocky coastline. Use common sense.

 

[mathauck0814]

For anyone that cares, the trip was a success - the plate provided enough stability to fin effectively. For tasks that I was concerned about (walking across soft sand with a tank) I had a buddy throw the tank in the water so I could assemble my gear/don my tank there).

Screws have been removed and I'm back to normal again.

Not a fun injury; but one I would definitely say is reasonably "diver friendly". In fact, the days I spent diving were the days I had the least discomfort - presumably from actually getting some exercise and stretching the ankle joint.

Thanks for all your feedback and thoughts.

 

[TSandM]

Glad to hear it went well.

Isolate fibula fractures do generally heal well, if the mortise is preserved, as they are significantly splinted by the tibia. But distal leg fractures in adults are a long way from the heart, and bone healing there is slow.

I do disagree with the poster who said you could do fine without a fibula at all. True, it is not part of the major weight bearing axis of the leg, but the ankle mortise is critical to ankle function, and requires the distal fibula for its lateral border.