Hockey can be a very physical sport, and not just for the players! Hockey referee Tim Peel learned that lesson the hard way last week when he was accidentally tripped and fell awkwardly on his ankle. He was able to hobble off the ice and eventually had x-rays that revealed he suffered a broken fibula.
You can see video of the incident below. Compared to some of the videos we’ve posted when breaking down injuries, this one is pretty tame. Odds are you’ll have to watch it multiple times to understand where the impact occurs, because it’s not as obvious as some of the lower leg fractures we’ve seen in the past.
Peel eventually had surgery to address the broken fibula, which is one way to handle the injury. Some patients can heal just fine with rest and conservative care, but there are a number of different types of fibula fractures, each with their own course of treatment. There are:
Lateral malleolus fracture: A lateral malleolus fibula fracture leaves the ankle joint unaffected. It tends to occur when the ankle bends or twists awkwardly, and the inner side of the ankle remains unaffected. Recovery for this type of fracture is at least six weeks.
Bimalleolar ankle fracture: With this type of fracture, the injury to the fibula also involves a corresponding injury to the inner side of the ankle. The ligaments that connect the fibula and ankle are injured and the stress on the fibula results a fracture. Again, recovery time is a minimum of six weeks.
Tibia-fibula fractures: These fractures result in breaking of both of the long bones in the lower leg. They are generally caused by severe trauma to the area. Recovery is between 3-6 months, but since they only mentioned Peel’s fibula, it seems unlikely he also had a tibia fracture.
Fibula stress fractures: The fibula becomes fractured as a result of repetitive stress to the bone. They typically affect people who are on their feet all day or amateur and competitive runners. Again, you’re looking at a six-week time table at a minimum for these types of fractures.
During surgery to address a fracture fibula, the surgeon typically uses hardware in the form of plates or screws to secure the fractured bone into place. This hardware holds the fractured bones in a normal alignment so the bones can heal naturally and in a stable location. Peel may be able to bear weight on the leg after six weeks, but it will likely take longer to regain enough strength to have confidence returning to the ice as a referee. We could see him during the playoffs or even late in the season if he’s really eager to get back on the ice. Here’s wishing him a speedy recovery.
