Kevin Ware Suffers Broken Leg, Right Tibia Snapped (Video)

Kevin Ware, a teammate on Louisville's Final Four, had his right tibia snap and break through his skin in Sunday's Midwest Regional with over Duke. The injury ended his postseason as a player.

A tibia fracture is a break in the tibia, a major bone in the lower leg that is also known as the shinbone. After the femur, the tibia is the longest bone in the body, and it is a major weight bearing bone that can make a tibia fracture extremely problematic. Recovery times can be in the months, especially in the case of complex fractures, and if the fracture is not treated properly, patients can experience complications like changes in limb length and compartment syndrome, according to the Mayo Clinic. 

People who have a tibia fracture usually know it, because they experience intense and unremitting pain. They may not be able to walk or put any weight on the leg, and the shinbone may appear distorted or at a strange angle. Swelling is also a common symptom, and in the case of an open fracture, the broken bone will protrude through the skin.

When any area between the knee and the ankle is broken, it is known as a shaft fracture. A plateau fracture is a tibia fracture which occurs just below the knee, while fractures just above the ankle are known as plafond fractures. Often, the fibula, the other bone in the lower leg, is also involved in the break, because the strain on the tibia can cause the fibula to snap as well.

Want to know more about his injury? Check out this video, courtesy of YouTube.