What does a broken fibular shaft feel like?

And can you break it skiing? When I went down yesterday, my knee went laterally, buy my lower leg went medially, putting the outside of the boot cuff against my leg with what felt like a shitload of pressure. It felt like I had broken my leg, but the pain shifted to the medial aspect of my knee, which hurt worse.

I don't have the money to go get an x-ray, so knowing that it's impossible to break a fibula with pressure from a boot would put me at ease until I can let my dad look at it.

For the record, I read that the biceps femoris attaches to the head of the fibula, and contraction of my hamstring hurts at the spot of injury... significantly. Don't know if this means anything.

JimS, you're an orthopod, yes?

When I was a ski patroller, unfortunately I saw a few of these. It is VERY possible. We call them "Boot-Top Fractures". I even thought I did it myself once, but the xray was negative. Think about the amount of pressure at the tib/fib area where the top of you boot is if all the weight of your body is working against a stuck ski in opposite directions. There are 2... well 3 logical places for the pressure to be released... 1) Break at the tib/fib area at the top of the boot, 2) the knee blow-out or at the worst 3) hip blow out.

If you are still in pain, get it checked out somehow.

Would I be able to walk on it if it weren't fractured severely? Was that your case when the x-ray was neg?

And is it possible to break just the fibula and not the tibia as well?

I can get around to some degree, but it seems like walking is getting harder every time I get out of bed... If this is the case I need to invent some way for this to happen other than skiing (got a VERY sticky situation involving tuition and not being allowed to ski).

Worth paying $300 of my own to get an x-ray if I can walk (but with difficulty)?

You could be able to walk on a fibula fracture. The fibula itself doesn't bear any weight.

In fact I know a friend of mine walked out of the BC for about 1.5 miles from a similar kind of fracture this season. She had a hairline fracture of her fibula.

A good first step might be the health center at your college. Fairly inexpensive and possibly they would be able to advise you as to if you really need the x-ray or not.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Max Gosey

I don't have the money to go get an x-ray, so knowing that it's impossible to break a fibula with pressure from a boot would put me at ease until I can let my dad look at it.

---

Broke my Fibula in March with my ski boots on, it's not impossible! I was not even skiing, slipped on the ice walking to the ski lift. I was in denial and tried to walk it off and skied a run anyway. When my hurt leg was down hill I could comfortably put pressure on it, but while up hill it was to painful.

I've been keeping a dairy of my recovery if your interested.
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=48087

When I broke my tibial plateau last month, I had no symptoms of a broken bone. TJ Brk, a nurse, didn't thnk it was a break, but we had an X-ray to be certain.

Check and see what your insurance is. I was covered by my parents as long as I was a full time student, and emergeny room visits are usually covered even if you are out of your coverage district.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Plakespear

When I broke my tibial plateau last month, I had no symptoms of a broken bone. TJ Brk, a nurse, didn't thnk it was a break, but we had an X-ray to be certain.

Check and see what your insurance is. I was covered by my parents as long as I was a full time student, and emergeny room visits are usually covered even if you are out of your coverage district.

---

This is starting to seem a little more likely. FEELS like a broken bone, but not nearly as severe as it normally is. Doesn't even hurt to touch it...

I went today to claim my films, and they weren't ready yet. Guess i'll go tomorrow.

had a tib/fib fracture back in 2000.... snapped the fib in half and had a sprial fracture around the tib...set me back about 20 weeks... 12 in a cast from my toes to my balls, 4 in a below the knee, and 4 in a moon boot....and i knew it was broken when my thigh moved and everything below my knee laid on the ground... and yes i had ski boots on along with skis... havent done a 360 since...

Well... it's either the tibial plateau or the fibular shaft. And it's not severe. I've been hobbling around campus without much difficulty. Made a cane out of a ski pole (:yourock: ). It's probably a stress fx of one or the other, but I'll have to get the radiology report to be sure.

I posted this thread to see if I could maybe circumvent getting an x-ray. Ended up talking to my dad and fibbing (boldface lying) about the injury, so I got an x-ray covered by insurance (theoretically... being 19 on my parents' plan is shitty). So... I'll post here once I get the films tomorrow.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Max Gosey

Ended up talking to my dad and fibbing (boldface lying) about the injury

---

I'd love to hear this story....

About the fibula fracture mine was diagnose today. What makes this odd is the break or hair-line fracture actually happened 6-weeks ago. Due to the wreckage I call my back I now use a powerchair most of the time. While at the recent county fair, as I tried to maneuver through the crowd, I came to a sudden stop when I ran into a piece of pipe that was attached to a divider. It hurt bad enough to make me sick to my stomach and caused a large purple-black bruise about mid-shin. I went several days before I finally decided to go to the emergency room where I waited for 4 hours and was never seen. About a week later I called my doctor who was on vacation so I stopped by my orthopedic which told me I needed to see my primary first or go to the emergency room. Two weeks ago I got in to see a doctor that takes walk-ins he gave me antibiotics for the swelling and inflammation. I finally called my doctor and begged him to see me and he did today. He took 2 x-rays and then came back and took 3 more. When he put them up on the light board the first 2 looked strange but the 3rd one showed a hair-line fracture about 3 inches long and a dent on my fibula. He gave me another antibiotic for the infection and told me to take it easy, it would just take a little time. If you think you may have a fracture have it looked at just to be safe I have all to often not tended to injuries (motocross) that is why I'm in the shape I am now.

S.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Max Gosey

And is it possible to break just the fibula and not the tibia as well?

---

I did.

No fucking way was I walking afterward, tho. It's been ~6 weeks and I'm just barely able to limp somewhat normally with a brace on.

WTF, Max - did your father forbid you to go skiing?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tippster

I did.

No fucking way was I walking afterward, tho. It's been ~6 weeks and I'm just barely able to limp somewhat normally with a brace on.

WTF, Max - did your father forbid you to go skiing?

---

Check the date of this...i.e. he was under medical restrictions to not ski.

Oy vey...