Broken fibula

Could someone please help me make sense of this finding?
Right fibula fracture, marginal, level IV.

Could someone please help me make sense of this finding?
Suspected marginal fracture of the right fibula, grade IV...

Since nobody seems to be responding, I'll just lay it out like this...

On September 13, 2008, I took a hit to my right lower leg. It swelled up, but I figured it wasn't a big deal—just some bruising that would clear up on its own... but five days passed and the pain wouldn't quit. I ended up heading down to the hospital in St. Louis to get an X-ray, where they gave me the diagnosis I mentioned in my previous post... I was put in a cast and told to come back for a follow-up five days later (September 22, 2008)...

On the 22nd, I show up for the check-up, they take more images, and the specialist looks at the scan and writes: "No immobilization required; refrain from strenuous exercise for 2 WEEKS..." ...honestly, it felt strange to me—I felt like I'd been wearing that cast for way too long already...

So, life went on. I rested, dealt with the pain, and stayed sidelined much longer than those two weeks. About four weeks in, I tried playing ball again and got clipped in the leg. I backed off immediately and went to physical therapy, but the pain just wouldn't go away... eventually, almost 3 MONTHS had passed!!! Any time I put weight on it, there was pain... so, I decided it was time for another check-up...

On December 11, I head back for a control visit. The specialist glances at the imaging from September 22 and basically asks, "What is there even left to image?" He sends me for more scans, then hands me the results and tells me the leg healed perfectly, blah blah blah... he writes: "Full weight-bearing permitted; gradually reintroduce training..."

I thought, well, maybe it’s normal that it hurts—maybe it’ll ache for a while, or even for the rest of my life... so I picked up some Voltaren gel and started jogging lightly. I was careful during my first PE class back... but the second time we played soccer, you won't believe what happened...
I'm mid-game, make a sudden movement, and I feel something snap in my leg. I just collapsed onto the ground... my friends helped me off the field. By the time I got home, everything was swollen... I'm at a loss here. Is it possible the bone snapped again? Or maybe a ligament or a muscle... I don't know anymore. I've lost all faith in these doctors in St. Louis... I'm spiraling... my career is going to be ruined... these doctors are just terrible...

I'm looking for any input—anyone who has gone through something similar or can offer some advice... thanks...

Robin Grant8 said:Could someone please help me make sense of this finding?
Suspected marginal fracture of the right fibula, grade IV...

Looks like there's a suspected break in the right fibula from about four days ago... hm... basically, they think it might be fractured, but they aren't 100% certain yet.

Robin Grant8 said:Since nobody seems to be responding, I'll just lay it out like this...

On September 13, 2008, I took a hit to my right lower leg. It swelled up, but I figured it wasn't a big deal—just some bruising that would clear up on its own... but five days passed and the pain wouldn't quit. I ended up heading down to the hospital in St. Louis to get an X-ray, where they gave me the diagnosis I mentioned in my previous post... I was put in a cast and told to come back for a follow-up five days later (September 22, 2008)...

On the 22nd, I show up for the check-up, they take more images, and the specialist looks at the scan and writes: "No immobilization required; refrain from strenuous exercise for 2 WEEKS..." ...honestly, it felt strange to me—I felt like I'd been wearing that cast for way too long already...

So, life went on. I rested, dealt with the pain, and stayed sidelined much longer than those two weeks. About four weeks in, I tried playing ball again and got clipped in the leg. I backed off immediately and went to physical therapy, but the pain just wouldn't go away... eventually, almost 3 MONTHS had passed!!! Any time I put weight on it, there was pain... so, I decided it was time for another check-up...

On December 11, I head back for a control visit. The specialist glances at the imaging from September 22 and basically asks, "What is there even left to image?" He sends me for more scans, then hands me the results and tells me the leg healed perfectly, blah blah blah... he writes: "Full weight-bearing permitted; gradually reintroduce training..."

I thought, well, maybe it’s normal that it hurts—maybe it’ll ache for a while, or even for the rest of my life... so I picked up some Voltaren gel and started jogging lightly. I was careful during my first PE class back... but the second time we played soccer, you won't believe what happened...
I'm mid-game, make a sudden movement, and I feel something snap in my leg. I just collapsed onto the ground... my friends helped me off the field. By the time I got home, everything was swollen... I'm at a loss here. Is it possible the bone snapped again? Or maybe a ligament or a muscle... I don't know anymore. I've lost all faith in these doctors in St. Louis... I'm spiraling... my career is going to be ruined... these doctors are just terrible...

I'm looking for any input—anyone who has gone through something similar or can offer some advice... thanks...

Man, that sounds rough... Look, at this point, you don't really have a choice—you're gonna have to see a surgeon again. It sucks, but you need more imaging and a full exam to rule out any bone trauma. There's just no way around it. And honestly, just like there are great mechanics and total hacks, there are good surgeons and then there are some absolute clowns you wouldn't trust to perform surgery on a house cat....
Try to get the inside scoop from someone working at the hospital to figure out who actually knows what they're doing and who has a solid reputation. If you've had bad luck with the surgeons, maybe try asking around the orthopedic department instead....
Just don't go rushing straight to private clinics. Most of the time, you won't get anything better than what the hospital offers, except you'll end up bleeding cash in the process....
Hang in there, whatever happens...

Look, even if you end up losing the fibula, you can still run just fine 😉

So, I headed over to the orthopedic clinic for an exam a little while back. They took some imaging of my leg, and the specialist told me there aren't any signs of bone trauma. He advised me to hold off on training for a bit—but he also said I shouldn't just stay sedentary; I need to keep moving, just gently... When I felt that sudden jerk in my leg and heard that popping sound, it was likely just a muscle or a ligament issue. He suggested hitting the local YMCA pool a few times for some light swimming... It feels better actually getting out and doing some light leg exercises every day to build strength back up. I'm hoping to ease back into running soon and hopefully everything will be fine... Best to everyone.