Is It Safe To Travel By Flight With Broken Tibia And Fibula?

Posted on Tue, 7 Jul 2015

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

Tue, 7 Jul 2015 Answered on

Tue, 4 Aug 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : My sister broke her tibia and fibula about eighteen days ago and has a splint on, tomorrow she has an appointment and they will most likely put on the actual cast. In two weeks we have plans to fly to Mexico which will consist of a 2 & a half hour flight. Would she be able to fly? I have paid an extra fee where she could get three seats to herself but that is only if there is extra room on the plane

Answered by Dr. Shoaib Khan (24 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Yes, she should be fine; just make sure circulation is good enough

Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.

Thank you for writing to us.

I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. Yes I do think she should be fine to travel at that given time frame, as she should have undergone a certain amount of healing.

Just make sure she meets her doctor at least a day or two prior to flying so we can look for any chances of swelling, rash, etc; to determine whether or not her blood circulation to the region is good enough.

I hope you find my response helpful. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help.

Best wishes.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar