Broken bone woes!

[chrbb]

IT unrelated question I know but....... has anyone broken a bone recently? My son's broken thumb that has been in a plaster cast for 5 weeks still aches at times, not sure if this is normal or an indication the bone hasn't repaired itself.

[witch]

No one here has broken a bone for a while (I really wish I hadn't said that!) but as I recall, broken bones can ache for a long time after the event. If he has been in plaster that long it must have been quite a bad break - I would have thought that aching a bit still was fine

[localzuk]

Last time I broke a bone, it ached for months.

[chrbb]

Thanks.

 

I'm not sure how bad the break is, he's 21 and other than having a lift to hospital he refused all attempts at me going in with him, so other than him reappearing with a full wrist plaster cast on and saying it's broken I have no idea how bad, not having had the chance to question the Doctor as only a Mother can:)

[witch]

Thanks.

 

I'm not sure how bad the break is, he's 21 and other than having a lift to hospital he refused all attempts at me going in with him, so other than him reappearing with a full wrist plaster cast on and saying it's broken I have no idea how bad, not having had the chance to question the Doctor as only a Mother can:)

 

 

Ohh - how frustrating!

[Ignatius]

Maybe I can help. Any idea of exactly what was broken? If it was the scaphoid, that can lead to major problems. When did he break it? Is it still in the cast? If not, how long has it been out of the cast? Have they arranged any physiotherapy?

 

I guess you might not be able to answer all the questions. He is, after all, 21 so there's no obligation for the orthopaedic staff to involve you, assuming that your son is able to understand what's happened, the implications of various treatment options etc.

[chrbb]

It's a broken thumb near the base, he bent it backwards trying to stop a fire door from shutting, he ripped the ligaments which have in turn pulled off a piece of bone.

 

He's been in a short arm cast with the thumb immobolised and his fingers free for 5 weeks, it comes off 3th Sept. Only instructions he came away from hosp with were that he was not allowed to drive and to keep wriggling his fingers and thumb.

 

He'a a builder in a 3 man business and has carried on at work, also continued to play cricket and go jogging.

 

Presumably the hospital will arrange physio and hopefully advise on a velcro type thumb splint for work and the basketball season

[Ignatius]

OK - if he's still wearing the cast, aching is to be expected and there is likely to be a lot of stiffness of the immobilised area when the cast has been removed. They *may* arrange further XRays when the cast hes been removed or do "stress" XRays to check whether the bony avulsion has united but, from what you've said, neither is absolutely necessary. There may be aching of his thumb for quite a while after the cast has been removed.

 

As for physiotherapy, he's a young fellow who's (presumably) well, so they are likely to give him instructions about self mobilisation. Whilst he may have been able to do manual work when wearing the cast, it's likely to be quite sore when it's been removed, even if he wears a splint. It is possible to have a custom-made thermal plastic splint made (moulded specifically for his thumb), but it depends upon whether that facility exists in the unit where he's being treated.

[kevbaz]

in my lifetime ive broken my wrists 5 times, 2 fingers and 2 toes.

 

pain stays for quite a while, even sometime after the cast is off

[whitenight639]

It's a broken thumb near the base, he bent it backwards trying to stop a fire door from shutting, he ripped the ligaments which have in turn pulled off a piece of bone.

 

He's been in a short arm cast with the thumb immobolised and his fingers free for 5 weeks, it comes off 3th Sept. Only instructions he came away from hosp with were that he was not allowed to drive and to keep wriggling his fingers and thumb.

 

He'a a builder in a 3 man business and has carried on at work, also continued to play cricket and go jogging.

 

Presumably the hospital will arrange physio and hopefully advise on a velcro type thumb splint for work and the basketball season

 

 

Its been ages since i broke a bone but id have thought the ligaments would be why its aches not thats its not healing properly. How do you play cricket without 2 hands? must be tallented!

[jpenn]

Weel i broke my ankle about 3 years ago and still suffer with it now that was with ligament damage too. So there is my bit. Sorry if i'm the bearer of bad news!

[chrbb]

Its been ages since i broke a bone but id have thought the ligaments would be why its aches not thats its not healing properly. How do you play cricket without 2 hands? must be tallented!

 

 

Lol, he's still got full use of the fingers just the left thumb out of action.

[krisd32]

I tore the cartlidge in myleft knee in january had an operation to remove the piece that had become detached. and it still bloody kills now! just aches more than anything so i guess it could be normal.