Winter in Minnesota provides us with some opportunities that others in some warmer parts of the US don’t get. We can go ice skating, sledding, snowboarding and skiing, and while these seasonal activities can be a blast, they also send thousands to the emergency room each year. One high-energy injury that we see every once in a while at our clinic is what’s know as a boot top fracture.
In today’s blog, we take a closer look boot top fractures and how they are treated.
What Is A Boot Top Fracture?
A boot top fracture is an injury that tends to be more common among skiers and snowboarders, and it gets it’s name for the relative position of the fracture to the top of a person’s ski or snowboarding boot. Because the stiff top of your skiing boots usually come up to around the mid-calf, this area can be placed in a vulnerable position if a great force is applied to the area because of the lower leg’s lack of flexibility.
If your boot or ski gets caught during a fall, the top of your ski boot can leverage against the bone when force is applied, causing a fracture to develop in the fibula or tibia. It’s possible for one of these bones to fracture during a boot top fracture, but because of their close proximity, it’s not uncommon for both of them to be fractured or significantly impacted by a fall on a ski hill.
Given the support that these bones provide to your body weight as you stand and move, it is usually pretty evident that a significant injury has developed if you have indeed suffered a boot top fracture. Some of the more common symptoms of a boot top fracture include:
- Inability to put weight on the foot
- Significant pain
- Bruising
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Numbness
- Visible bone pushing against or even through the skin
So while you may not know that you suffered a boot top fracture, it will be very evident that you suffered a major injury to your leg complex. Do not try to ski down the hill or walk down a slick surface, flag someone down and have them alert ski patrol or a medical team.
Diagnosing And Treating Boot Top Fractures
If you have suffered a boot top fracture, you’ll likely head off to the emergency room in short order. Once there, your care team will ask you about your injury and take a quick look at the lower leg complex. They will also order some imaging tests to get a better understanding of exactly how the tibia and fibula are damaged.
In the vast majority of cases where a fracture to the tibia and fibula is diagnosed, surgery will be the recommended course of action. Not only can surgery help to ensure that the bones in the leg heal properly, but surgery will also help to stabilize the entire leg. You will be able to support weight through the leg much sooner once the area has been reinforced with the help of surgery. This reinforcement is made possible through the insertion of artificial hardware. In most instances, a rod and screws will be be inserted down the leg to provide some extra stability as the fractures heal in the correct location.
After surgery, you will need to take it easy for a number of weeks. Most patients will eventually begin some physical therapy exercises that will continue for a few months until your leg starts to feel normal again. Depending on activity goals, many patients can return to high-level athletic activities within 6-12 months of injury.
For more information about boot top fractures or other injuries to the foot and ankle during winter sports, reach out to Dr. Silverman and the team at Silverman ankle & Foot today at (952) 224-8500.
