Freak fracture

Science World, May 12, 2008 by Andrew Klein

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

OUCH! Looks like soccer star Eduardo Da Silva, 25, will be sidelined until next season. This photo captures the moment--on February 23--when the striker (right) on the British team Arsenal broke two bones, his tibia and his fibula, following a run-in with an opponent.

"The tibia is the most important bone in the lower leg," says Dr. Dean Lorich, an orthopedic trauma surgeon at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City who specializes in treating fractures or broken bones. "This bone is the main weight-bearing bone," he says. The fibula supports muscles used for sideways motion and ankle movements.

Da Silva's break is known as a compound fracture, which means that the bones were completely snapped apart and the jagged ends pierced the skin.

"Judging from the picture, this is the most severe break," says Dr. Lorich, "and can be a very dangerous situation too."

That's because the bone penetrated more than 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) through the leg. This makes the inside of the body more vulnerable to infection by germs.

To fix this type of injury, often a metal rod is surgically placed inside the bone. "It's like a skewer, connecting the bone back together," says Dr. Lorich. After about three months, the bone heals. The rod is usually left inside the bone.

This injury could have been worse. "[Da Silva] was lucky that the bones broke above the ankle joint, or he probably would never [have been able to] play soccer or walk normally again," says Dr. Lorich.

Da Silva was also lucky that the blood vessels carrying nutrient-rich blood to his foot and ankle were left intact. If they had been severed, part of his leg might have had to be amputated, or surgically removed.

Now all Da Silva needs to do is keep weight off of his leg. Then, he'll work on strengthening his muscles with repetitious exercises. Eventually, a running program will help get him back into a sporting condition in as few as nine months.