• SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works
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    8 hours ago

    It probably was not recoverable when they repaired whatever made that Titanium splint and screws neccesary.

    Edit: apparently the middle portion of the fibula is so non-essential for weight-bearing that it is the most common bone harvested for bone grafts elsewhere in the body

      • village604@adultswim.fan
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        6 hours ago

        Not necessarily, it could be a group of people who weren’t aware of removing the bone being a thing, but it’s probably a lie for internet points.

        • chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          6 hours ago

          Ah, I guess I assumed “everyone” referred to medical professionals involved in the treatment, and that if there was an explanation OOP knew that it would have been included, but I can see how it’s possible

      • SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works
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        5 hours ago

        Based on what I read after, given the injury to the Tibia, Mabe the Fibula’s middle was sacrificed for a bone graft, rather than cutting open his good leg as well.

        • TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today
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          4 hours ago

          Doesn’t really look like it’s been taken out for a graft, at least not anytime recently. My bet would be he acquired a atrophic nonunion fracture the same time he broke his tibia. The rounded edges of the bone look more like they’ve been subject to resorption instead of being excised.

          Honestly not that rare for fibular fractures, though the segment missing is fairly large. So it’s probably a fairly old injury.

          • SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            3 hours ago

            I suspect an older harvest. The callus combined with some perimeter resorption tends to lead to a conical profile. Sometimes the callus will even hypertrophy and make a couple of little drumsticks.

            • TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today
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              2 hours ago

              It’s a possibility, but I doubt it considering the profile pic seems to be of a relatively young patient. Plus, I’m not seeing anywhere on the tibia where a graft would be necessary, of course it could have been utilized elsewhere.

              It would also be an odd place to harvest from, usually you would shoot for an area a little more distal to the attachment point of the extensor hallucis longus.