I fractured my fibula

I think I heard that the tibia is the major weight bearing bone (75%) in your lower leg and therefore the fibula is used in some cases if needed in other parts of your body that have been injured.  In other words you don't necessarily truly need the fibula.  Did they say how the infection was caused?  My son broke his fibula close to his ankle and he was in a non weight bearing cast for 4 weeks.  I can't remember what came after that but he is fine and it happened fairly recently.  He does have normal ankle motion but it was very stiff to begin with and he went through PT.  Best of luck to you.  It is interesting how different doctors treat differently.  "Internal fixation" sounds scary.  

Obviously each individual is different but here is my story and what I have been told. Back on 28th Feb this year I slipped over on the ice and severely broke both my fibula and tibia. I also developed Acute Compartment Syndrome so had to have emergency surgery to save my foot and leg. A week later I had an external fixator fitted with a pin sticking out of either side of my ankle and 2 pins coming out of the front of my tibia with rods between them to stabilise. So technically there is nothing stabilising my fibula. I was told that they weren’t worried about the breaks in my fibula as you can manage without it. 

I have also asked what sort of range of movement I will have once fully recovered as, so far, it has is still in place and it has been 5 months since I have been able to move my ankle and I have only been minimal weight bearing in the last 2 of these. I was told that once my frame is removed and with a lot of hard work with physio therapy, which will probably take over a year,  I should have a normal range back and I’m a 54 year old woman. I go back to the fracture clinic later this morning and I’m hoping to be given a date for my frames removal although that’s what I was hoping for after 12 weeks, my initial time frame. That was extended by another month and then another month so I’m not very optimistic for today but I’m keeping everything crossed for some good news and that I am given a date to get a boot. 

What do you now have on your leg, anything?

I hope this info helps, if not, get back in touch with your surgeon and ask him/her. 

Good luck x

Good luck to you

My cast was just removed 3 days ago I had surgery June 13th to fix my figure I fractured it but I also had ligament damage I have one plate and 4 screws in my right ankle I was in the cast for 4 weeks non weight bearing after the cast removal I was place in a air cast ankle brace and told to walk and weight bear S tolerated right now my ankle is extremely stiff Espeshially my Achilles tendon walking for the 1st 1st time was painful because of how stiff it was in my Achilles There are lots of stretching and exercises that need to be done to regain range of motion and walking it's tough and painful but as soon as you're able to weight bear walk as much as you can I'm on my 3rd day and I can already feel my Achilless loosening Up there also massages you can do to The fibula bone is not really used to weight bear so from what you say you should be OK I heard ligament damage is worse than breaking a bone Just Be prepared for the long journey of walking again it's not easy and if you're 11 weeks non weight bearing you're going to be extremely stiff good luck with your recovery