Word parts
What it means
The bigger of the two lower leg bones and the one that carries the body's weight. Its front edge can be felt just under the skin of the shin. The fibula is the thinner bone beside it on the outside. Because there is little tissue over it, a tibia fracture is often an open fracture.
For the nurse
Press on the skin over the tibia to check for pitting edemaPIT-ing ih-DEE-muhSwelling in which pressing a finger into the skin leaves a dent that stays for a while after the finger is lifted.Full entry . After a tibia fracture, watch for compartment syndrome: pain out of proportion to the injury, especially when the toes are stretched, is reported at once.
At a glance
| Everyday words | shinbone |
|---|---|
| Spanish | tibia |
| Also written | tibial, tibias |
Related terms
skeletal
Having to do with the skeleton, the framework of bones that supports the body.
pitting edema
Swelling in which pressing a finger into the skin leaves a dent that stays for a while after the finger is lifted.