Tibia Fracture and Splint: How to Care for Your Child

The tibia (also called the shinbone) is the larger of the two bones in the lower leg between the knee and the ankle. Your child has a splint to treat a fracture (break) in the bone. A splint is like a cast but doesn't go all the way around the leg. A splint helps fractures by holding the bones in place while they heal. In a few days after the swelling goes down the splint will be changed to a cast. 

Take care of the splint and treat pain as instructed to keep your child comfortable while the fracture heals.

• To control swelling, for the first 2 days after the injury:

  • Use pillows to raise the splint above heart level when your child is sitting or lying down.

  • When your child is awake, put ice in a plastic bag wrapped in a towel on the outside of the splint for 20 minutes every 3 hours for up to 2 days. Don't put ice directly on the splint or skin.

• Remind your child to keep off the leg. If your child has crutches, make sure they're used safely.

• Remind your child to wiggle the toes to keep blood flowing normally.

If your child has pain:

Give your child acetaminophen (Tylenol^® or a store brand) or ibuprofen (Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand) as recommended by the care team. Follow the package directions for how much to give and how often. 

Daily splint care:

• Don't remove or change the position of the splint.

• Check the area around the splint every day. Make sure the skin isn't scratched and the fingers aren't pale, blue, numb, or tingling.

• Make sure your child doesn't pick at the lining of the splint or scratch under it.

• Don't put anything in the splint. Make sure your child doesn't put toys, food, or other objects into it.

• Keep dirt, sand, lotion, and powder away from the splint.

• Keep the splint dry:

  • No swimming.

  • Give sponge baths to kids younger than 5 years old.

  • Older kids should take baths instead of showers. Put a plastic covering over the splint when your child bathes. Put the leg and splint on something to keep them completely out of the water.

  • If the splint is accidentally splashed, gently blow air onto it from a hair dryer on the cool setting.

Problems to watch for:

• Itching: Tap lightly on the splint or use a hair dryer on the cool setting to blow air in and around the edges.

• Swelling: If the toes look puffy, raise the leg above the level of the heart for 1 hour. If the swelling doesn't get better, call your health care provider.

Be sure to:

• Follow up with the orthopedic specialist as directed.

• Have your child avoid gym class, sports, and playground equipment until the orthopedic specialist says it's OK.

Your child:

• has pain that's not helped by pain medicine

• has pain that gets worse

• has a fever with no clear reason

• has red or raw skin near the edge of the splint

• has swollen toes even after raising the leg

• feels the splint is too tight

• Your child can't wiggle their toes.

• Your child has severe pain when moving the toes.

• The foot or toes are pale or blue.

• The splint is loose or damaged, gets wet, or smells bad.

Will my child need a cast? Yes. In a few days after the swelling goes down, the orthopedic specialist will change the splint to a cast. After several weeks, the cast might be changed to a walking boot.

How long does it take a tibia fracture to heal? Healing time varies. Depending on the tibia fracture and the child, kids will need a cast or boot for a total of around 6–12 weeks.