Nope, that’s straight up bullshit. It was either osteotomized in surgery (cut out), or it was missing as a result of the injury. Both of these are semi common in fractures like that and for the fibula it’s fine. The fibula does not bear weight and really just helps add stability tonthe ankle joint, so as long as the lateral malleolus (the bottom of the fibula) is in tact there’s usually no problem.
There are several pins in the bones in the X-ray, so they definitely already had surgery, and I’d wager the surgeon has a pretty good idea of where the bone is.
“No one has any idea” is code for “we know exactly what happened but we don’t want to be sued for malpractice by admiting it”
You’re so right. Seeing the hardware, it’s post-op, so someone made a boo-boo. “No one has any idea” is code for: stalling for time to give the hospital’s legal team a head start.
I’m not a doctor but I believe that piece of bone is fairly important
The fibula isn’t a weight bearing bone. The part near the ankle is important, as it’s part of the joint, but the middle doesn’t do much. It’s frequently used for bony reconstruction, like for head and neck cancer surgeries.
