Tibia and Fibula Surgery

Tibia and Fibula Surgery

The tibia and fibula are the 2 bones of your lower leg. The tibia is your shinbone. It’s the larger bone. The fibula is the smaller bone that sits next to the tibia. The top of the tibia forms part of the knee joint. The bottom of both the tibia and the fibula form the upper part of the ankle joint.

An injury may break (fracture) your tibia or your fibula into 2 or more pieces. This might happen near your knee, in the middle of your shin, or near your ankle. A fracture near your ankle may be called a broken ankle. You may have a fracture in 1 or both of the bones. A bone may break but the pieces are still lined up correctly. Or the pieces may not line up correctly. This is called a displaced fracture.

A broken tibia or fibula can happen from a car or bicycle accident, contact sports, a fall, or activities with movements that you do over and over again. Older adults with low bone density (osteoporosis) are more at risk for breaks in these bones.

During the surgery, the surgeon will make a cut (incision) through the skin and muscle of your leg. He or she will put the pieces of your tibia and fibula back into place (reduction). The pieces of the broken bones will be secured to each other (fixation). Your doctor may use screws, metal plates, wires, or pins. For a fracture in the middle of the tibia, a special metal rod may be put through the middle of the bone.