How Long Does Compound Fracture Of Tibia And Fibula Take To Heal?

Posted on Thu, 9 Jan 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 9 Jan 2014 Answered on

Tue, 28 Jan 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi I recently had compound tib/fib fracture butterfly break My consultant tells me that I will be lucky if it heals in 26 weeks I have had surgery and nailing currently have a small leg ulcer over the fracture site Is this time scale realistic / typical ? When would I likely be weight bearing /driving I know that without seeing the specific case it's hard to answer I'm looking more at averages Is hyperbaric oxygen therapy an option to aid healing? Many thanks

Answered by Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (29 minutes later)

Brief Answer: It takes long time to heal. Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for posting your query. A compound fracture of tibia and fibula takes time to heal even after an internal fixation with nailing. Since it is a compound fracture the chances of infection are present which is an important factor in delaying the healing. The time frame that your orthopedician has given you is realistic. Non weight bearing physiotherapy will help in an early recovery. The weight bearing will be allowed only when a callus formation is seen around the fracture site radiologically. Do take a healthy diet rich in calcium proteins zinc and other minerals for faster healing. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and decreased smoking and alcohol intake will also help in healing. I hope this answers your query. In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out. Wishing you good health. Regards. Dr. Praveen Tayal. For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad