Anyone familiar with broken bones?

[Pete Hanlin]

Well, I'm currently on Long Island, and I get a call from my wife during dinner...

Seems our 13 year old son, Pierce, managed to wreck his bike and break both bones in his lower leg. From what I gathered from my wife, they set it twice (the first time they weren't quite happy with the alignment), put it in a splint for the night and set up an appointment for a cast tomorrow.

Deb noticed on the last x-ray (after it was set the 2nd time), that the bones are "pretty much aligned now, but there is a very slight offset on both." The emergency room doc was happy with the second setting, and said it would take about 6-8 weeks to heal (which means Pierce will miss his first buck season).

My question, is it normal to have a slight offset after they set it (I'm guessing it might be, but want to make sure this isn't a case of "well, we got it 'good enough'").

Thanks to anyone with experience on this- Deb says they gave him plenty of "happy drugs" and he's pretty much out of it for the evening.

[optigrrl]

Wellll .... no experience personally. But if it were my son I would be on the phone with another 10 doctors asking if it were the norm....

Glad he's ok, that's the most important thing.

[braheem24]

Dont know anything about cast settings but best of luck to you, your son and the rest of the family. :(

[rbaker]

Check with your PCP and any other physicians that you know and ask them where they would refer their son. Unfortunately there exist no metrics on how “good” a physician is other than the opinion of his/her colleagues. Once he is in their care I guess you just have to “be still, trust and know.”

By the way, you will continue to worry about him breaking his fool neck until you become so senile that you don’t know who you are. Mine are pushing forty and I still worry.

[Pete Hanlin]

Great suggestion on the "to whom would you take your child," I'll have Deb call his regular pediatrician and see who he recommends. If its the same doc the emergency room recommended, at least we'll feel better!

"Be still and know..." that's one of my favorite verses- I think that was the prophet's suggestion to the king when he heard a huge army was on its way (I'll have to look up the particular king).

Thanks,
Pete

[DragonLensmanWV]

Our daughter has broken both bones in each wrist in two different falls a few years apart. The first one (age 6) she broke about three inches above the wrist. Imagine bending your wrist up at about a thirty degree angle, than imagine a similar bend three inches further up your arm. Being a former zoology major, I was not very squeamish, but that was disturbing.We got her to the hospital and they banned us from the room while they were setting the bones. Hearing her screams from down the hall was heartbreaking.They got the bones pretty straight but not totally perfect but they healed nicely and straightened up themselves the rest of the way.
At age 9 she was overnighting at her grandmother's and was bouncing on the bed, went off and hit a dresser on the way down. Different arm, same place. This time the doctor told us to leave but I told him he might be setting his own broken arm if he tried to get me to leave. He was worried about parents fainting. I assured him and held her other hand tight while he set her arm.She really gripped my hand and didn't scream as bad as the first time. However, my wife got pretty lightheaded and they laid her on a nearby bed. Again, the bones straightened out nicely. Dunno if it will be the same on a leg that gets more use.
But don't be afraid to seek a trusted doctor's opinion.

[Jubilee]

In my anatomy and physiology class, we learned the idea behind leaving a bit of a gap is to allow from growth as well. Since your son is still growing, and the bone is naturally lengthing itself in this process, they traditionally leave a little bit of space to keep the length even between the two legs. The cast will support the legs as the bones continue to "knit" themselves back together.

It never hurts to get a second opinion or have him follow up with the pedatrician.

[For-Life]

Pete, you should go on an MD forum and ask for help. Then flip out when they tell you to go see a doctor. :)

[karen]

"Be still and know..." that's one of my favorite verses- I think that was the prophet's suggestion to the king when he heard a huge army was on its way (I'll have to look up the particular king).

Thanks,
Pete

mine is Jeremiah 29:11. My hubby broke his wrist in several places about 3 months ago it when they "pieced" it back together (pun intended, he shattered it) it did not quite line up. But in the end the did surgery on it with a plate and pins so I am not sure how it would have healed up. They acknowledged the not quite lined up part though. If they have to set it again better now than later.

[Pete Hanlin]

Thanks for all the info... Fortunately, my wife reported no screaming (they made her leave the room, but said they would sedate Pierce to the point that "he wouldn't remember a thing"). He didn't scream, but the said he was hypervenilating (which is what he does when he gets REALLY freaked out about something). So, for the second go round they sedated him to the point that he was almost under.

They're actually just getting the cast in place now (apparently, a LOT of kids break bones in our area they have 9 doctors that are slammed today :^). Deb says he yells every time she tries to move him- but I guess that's natural (even with the bone set, I imagine the nerve endings in there have been traumatized pretty good). I can't imagine how they're going to put a cast on a swollen leg, but hopefully it will ease some of the pain.

Looking forward to getting home tomorrow night...

[Jacqui]

Talk to another Dr.