Hi, I'm 20 and whilst playing football suffered a fractured fibula and tore my syndesmosis joint. I had surgery 8 screws and a plate for my fibula and a syndesmosis screw for my syndesmosis joint. After 11 weeks there is no bone growth, should I worry? Also my doctor told me to start weight bearing regardless of no bone growth, is that normal? Thanks
I definately think that you need to get an urgent appointment with the orthapedic surgeon who carried out the setting of the bone and have an X-ray to see exacty what the bones are doing.
I had a bone defect from birth where the Humerous bone had no marrow, but instead an aqueous cyst. The bone kept fracturing as when I fell the bone could not absorb shock due to the cyst behaving as a hydraulic, as opposed to shock absorbtion tissue. It was picked up following a fall in the playground, which should only have bruised me, but the bone had suffered a simple "fissure" fracture.
I could not have a bone graft done until I was 19 and had stopped growing. I was lucky in that I did not need to have plates and screws, but the surgery meant that it did take 8 weeks to heal.
It is likely that you have stopped growing and the bones have now hardened, and that is why they have been set the way they have.
With reference to the weight bearing issue, I think the doctor is worried about muscle weakness setting in and causing problems with the bones drawing together. Is this doctor the same one which set the fracture?
You need to be very careful how you start working with any sort of weight going through it, as you have plates screwed in to the bone, and the fibula is a load bearing bone, and affects the ability for the foot to move around as well.
If you are a footballer, even at just amateur level and do not play it as a full sport, the last thing you need is a weak bone in any part of the leg.
Normally it takes a bone 7-8 weeks to heal, from a simple fracture; the fact that you have plates and screws in place seems to imply that it was not a simple fracture. Screws and pins will, by their nature, reduce the speed at which the bone the grow back, and therefore longer to heal.
Does it hurt still if you try to put any sort of pressure through the leg as a whole and in particular the bone which was fractured?
In this case if there has been no apparent healing, and the fibular does not appear to have gained strength, I think I would be concerned (not worried- two different things).
Have you kept up your calcium intake?
By that I mean, have you being drinking a lot of things like cheese and in particular milk. As corny as it sounds calcium up-take really does help the healing process, and although you have stopped growing, your bones still need calcium in the healing process.
I definately think that you need to get an urgent appointment with the orthapedic surgeon who carried out the setting of the bone and have an X-ray to see exacty what the bones are doing, as well as ensuring that the Surgeon and your GP (if that is what your Dr. is) talk to eachother.
In the UK we now have a "Mutual Notes" system, where over the internet, the notes that are put on your file relating to the progression of a condition can be shared by those who want/need to know what the last consultation at either side resulted in. With you starting exercise on a bone that does not appear to have healed.
Again, I can see the issue relating to re- building up the muscle, but the bone issue seems more of an issue. Get the appointment as outlined above.
I hope that everything is working properly and it is just that you are a "slow healer". Please keep us informed how things go.
Regards
Chris R.
I had an x ray less than a week ago with the ankle and foot specialist at my hospital. He informed me it wasn't healing as fast as expected but it was a very complex fracture. Also he said x rays dont always show true healing as the angle of the ankle at x ray compared to the x ray before that as the fracture gap can be made to look bigger.
The doctor I saw is different to the one who did the operation although they have spoke to each other.
When I weight bear I have no pain and I actually full weight beared on it for a couple of days 3 weeks ago as they told me too. However they then told me I was bending the metal work so I stopped for 3 weeks and I'm now starting to part weight bear again.
I haven't altered my calcium intake since the operation but I do eat cheese and have a little milk.
Forgot to mention I have an appointment on 8th of Jan where he has told me to be able to weight bear in just a normal trainer. And he mentions that there is a 75% chance I wont need another operation, is that a high percentage? As I'm concerned about having to have to go through this ordeal all over again. Thanks