Distal fibula fracture rehab

[karen.hankey]

Hi David,

I wouldn't worry about him not using the crutches as long as he is walking without a limp. The fibula is a non-weight bearing bone and so thats why it isn't in plaster for as long.

Your rehab programme sounds about right. Is the support he is using a the moment removable? If so i would start gentle mobilisations at this stage. As you say balance is the big thing to try and reduce further problems.

With the strength aspect, if the patient is tolerable and no pain start isometric exercises asap, then do it partial WB and move onto fully WB. When bilat heel raise, try and ensure they are not just using their good leg, but unilateral will find out the cheats.

Let us know how you got on.

[barrs1985]

Thanks Karen,
He is doing quite well at the moment, he has the cast off and not too much swelling,
His ROM is nearly equal again and his m/s is 4/5, the only thing that is noticeably a problem is his soleus msc is after shortening quite abit, his rehab is going quite well and i now have him light jogging with no pain.
I also have him on his bike quite abit cycling different terrains.
Although he reported been quite stiff the day after around the soleus muscle. He continues to stretch this quite alot and is getting back to normal slowly but surely.

My aim is to have him full sprinting by the end of this month (August).
His balance is quite good and has started balance and wobble board stuff now cos he is too advanced for closed eyes technique already.

Is my timescale for sprinting too close or far away do you think?

Regards,
David.

[karen.hankey]

Hi David,

I wouldn't let him sprint unless the stiffness when he jogs subsides. Make sure he is doing his soleus stretches properly (most people don't).

[barrs1985]

Cheers Karen, when you say properly, what are the most common mistakes that people make? I have him doing it with his foot as far away as possible from the wall and knee to wall and measuring how many fingers he can get his foot away.
David.