It bears very little body weight.
It is the thinnest of all the long bones compared to its length.
Stress fractures of the fibulacan occur with repetitive stress impact exercises like running.
Grafts can be removed from the fibula and replaced with implants to maintain the stability of the shaft.
The fibula is a long bone, meaning that it is longer than it is wide.
Running the length of the shaft in the center of the fibula is a cavity filled withyellow bone marrow.
There is red bone marrow in the trabecular bone at both ends.
The epiphyseal plate is the location where new bone is formed until the bone is fully matured at adulthood.
The fibula is the most slender long bone in the body as a ratio of width to length.
That is called the proximal tibiofibular joint.
The fibula does not make up any part of the knee joint.
The proximal tibiofibular joint is held in place with several ligaments including the lateral fibular collateral ligament.
Function
The fibula provides lateral stability to the lower limb and to the ankle joint.
A natural fibula in an otherwise healthy individual does not bear any significant body weight.
Associated Conditions
The most common significant medical conditions of the fibula are fractures.
Onestudy of military recruitsin Korea had a 1.9% incidence of proximal fibula stress fractures during basic training.
In rare circumstances, tumors can occur in the proximal fibula.
If not addressed, the fibula can harden and thicken to become more like the tibia.
If that happens, the tibia might not grow back together at all.
That is known as a non-union of the tibia.
Sometimes, the fixation is temporary and will be removed after the bones have begun to heal.
Post-surgery, the patient might be required to keep weight off the injured leg for six to eight weeks.
This is often accomplished with the use of a walking cast.
The use of home exercises and physical therapy can increase mobility and function after donating bone from a leg.
Rehabilitation from Stress Fractures
Minor repetitive injury fibularstress fracturesare usually treated without surgery.
Rehabilitation is likely to include rest and avoiding weight-bearing for a week or more.
This can usually be accomplished with the use of crutches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Maybe.
The fibula is a long bone in the lower leg.
Long bones have a long, narrow section and two thicker ends.Theyre longer than they are wide.
The outside of long bones is thick, compact bone while the inside is softer marrow.
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