Severe damage to the bones of the shin and foot occurs when falling from a high altitude, as a result of a traffic accident or when the foot is squeezed by a heavy object.

Usually in the fracture region, edema develops rapidly, severe pain and deformity occur, caused by the displacement of bone fragments. Often a fracture of the ankles is accompanied by a dislocation of the foot.

A damaged leg should be given the correct position. To do this, carefully pull the leg along the length, taking one hand by the heel, and the other by the toes of the foot. Take off your shoes immediately. In a few minutes after the injury, it will be more difficult, since pain and swelling accrue with every minute (Figure 2).

If the fracture is open, do not attempt to insert bone fragments or remove foreign objects from the wound. The first thing to do is stop the bleeding. Treat the skin around the wound with any disinfectant (tincture of iodine, manganese-potassium hydroxide solution, hydrogen peroxide) and apply a sterile bandage to the wound. Then proceed to immobilization.

For this, in addition to tires, you can use improvised means - boards, ski poles, rods, imposing them on the outer and inner surfaces of the legs. Fixing the tire requires two joints simultaneously: the knee and ankle (Figure 3). In extreme cases, a damaged leg can be bandaged to a healthy one. If there are no bandages, fix the tire with a scarf, shirt, towels.

The victim should be delivered to the medical institution as soon as possible on stretchers - standard or home-made, for example, on the coat in which the sticks are worn (Figure 4).

When the doctor allows you to walk, you should use crutches or a stick. Crutches should be adjusted for height, so that when walking, the upper part of them does not press on the armpits. For fractures of the calcaneus or foot bones, purchase a special footbed for the shoe - the arch supports.

Those who have an ankle fracture, after removing the plaster bandage, are recommended to wear special shoes to prevent post-traumatic deformation of the foot; The most suitable shoes for figure skating.

Do not overload the injured leg. To reduce swelling, rest and sleep, place your foot on the pillow or on the cushion roller (Figure 5).

Even in gypsum, of course, when there is no severe pain, do light physical exercises, try to strain the muscles of the injured leg. This is necessary to improve blood circulation and prevent the "congealing" of the joints.