You have been treated for a Pretibial Laceration. You have been thoroughly examined and are now considered fit to be discharged. The following will aid your recovery.
What is a pretibial laceration?
A pretibial laceration is a particular type of cut that occurs on a leg when the skin tissue there is thin and fragile. It is usual for the skin on the front of the shins to become quite thin and fragile as one gets older, particularly in women. Even a small knock on the shin can tear the skin.
Treatment
A Pretibial laceration needs special care due to the poor blood supply and thin tissue. It can take from three weeks to several months to heal and you may need to visit your GP Practice or get them to arrange for a District Nurse to visit you to check the wound is healing.
We don’t usually stitch this type of cut because the skin is usually very thin on your leg. Instead, we use steristrips, and often a large bandage which will encourage healing.
Steristrips: Wound closure or Butterfly stitches, are adhesive strips that help to close the edges of a wound and encourage the skin to heal.
Helping your cut heal
You should:
- Try and continue with your normal activities
- Keep your foot raised (elevated) whenever you sit down – it should be higher than your hip
- Try and rest at least 2–3 times a day for at least half an hour
- Keep your leg warm – cover it with a rug
- Exercise your foot by moving it up and down for at least a minute every hour. You should also bend your knee and wriggle your toes to exercise your calf muscles for at least a minute. This reduces the risk of blood clotting in your leg
- Keep your leg elevated at night by raising the end of your mattress/bed
- Take painkillers regularly if you have pain – take some about 1 hour before you have your dressing changed
- Eat a good diet
Do not:
- Remove the bandage or dressing. The wound is best left for several days to help the healing process before redressing
- Get the dressing wet
- Smoke. It will affect the circulation to your leg so it will take longer to heal
- Stand still for long periods – such as when you are cooking, or ironing
If your leg bleeds heavily or if you see redness spreading up your legs, you should get advice from your own GP, District Nurse or an Urgent Treatment Centre as soon as possible.
If your toes become swollen or pale/blue or very cold or painful, elevate your leg for 30 minutes. If this does not improve things return to the UTC or WIC straight away.
How to seek further medical advice
If you have concerns that your, or your child’s, condition is worsening (or not improving in the way that would be expected) you should seek medical advice as follows:
- In normal opening hours please contact your own registered GP practice.
- Outside your GP’s opening hours you should phone 111 who will advise you what steps you need to take next.
- If you are unable to get advice from the above and you, or your child has urgent concerns you could re-attend the Urgent Treatment Centre you visited today. If this is not an option you could attend your nearest hospital Emergency Department (A&E).
If you have concerns that you or the patient you are caring for has a potentially life-threatening illness or injury you should call 999.
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