Star defender Filipe Luis, who plays for Atletico Madrid in the Europa League, fractured his left fibula after he was caught in a striker’s follow through in a game against Lokomotiv Moscow on March 16th, 2018. Luis was escorted off the field in a stretcher and promptly taken to the hospital to for x-rays. The Brazilian native may miss the upcoming World Cup.

The lower leg is made up of a series of bones that includes the tibia, fibula, and tarsals. The tibia, commonly referred to as the shinbone, is the large bone that connects the knee and the ankle. The fibula is the thin, lateral bone that is parallel to the tibia and plays a role in support for the tibia and is a crucial site for the attachment of ligaments at the knee and ankle.

A fibula fracture that is part of a twisting ankle injury is often repaired with a plate and screws in order to line up and stabilize the ankle while it heals. Fracture of the fibula from direct contact will heal on its own and is not usually considered for surgery. Bone healing gets to about 80% strength over 3 to 4 months and up to 100% strength in a year. Athletes are usually given the option to pay after 3 to 4 months of healing, when they are comfortable and mobile enough to be effective. For many sports, it takes 6 to 12 months to return to top level play after a leg fracture. If this is a direct fibula fracture, it may be relatively quick to return to high level of play.

Athletes are usually eager to return to play and may be willing to take some risks to do so. It’s possible–with some risk–that Filipe could play in the World Cup this summer.

This article was made by Paul Bonilla and David Ring