broken leg?

Question

my son has a broken tibia and fibula he doesnt have a plaster cast but rods and pins inside. this happened 5 days ago and is feeling weak and tearful today although he can get up and walk around he is in pain anyone had similar

Answer 1

He needs to see a doctor. He is probably reacting to the trauma with the tears and weakness, but he should not be in pain and should get some treatment for it.

Answer 2

You would expect some pain only five days after breaking a bone. He has had this fixed and probably has wound sites from the operation which are going to be sore as well.

If his pain control is poor, you may need to ask your GP for some supplementary painkillers. I find paracetamol 1g 4x daily plus tramadol 50-100mg up to 4x daily is usually adequate. Some GPs may wish to use co-codamol etc. Don't use tablets called ibuprofen or voltarol without first consulting your orthopaedic surgeon as these can affect the bone healing.

It is quite right that he doesn't need a plaster cast as the screws and pins hold the bones together adequately. Encourage him to get up and move around as this will speed up his recovery. Resting all the time will only prolong things.

Finally, DO NOT try any homeopathic remedies without firstly consulting your GP. They often interact with other medications he may be on. There is also no clinical evidence that they improve bone healing. Bones heal by themselves and need to do so at their own pace.

If in any further doubt, speak to your GP or Orthopaedic surgeon

Answer 3

Hi well you must remember its only been 5 days since your sons operation,so all this is new and you son will be in pain for a while yet due to th injury and having rods and screws inserted into his bones .Any movement will be painful for now that is,once a few wks has gone past the whole leg will settle down and the pain will go a little but he will still experience some pain.Make ure he keeps hes weight off that leg,until hes consultant says differant,as you can disturbed the pins,rods and the fracture.When he sitting or lying down keep a pillow underneath the whole leg,dont let the whole leg dangle and hes leg will swell up alot,kepp the toes moving for circulation.If you notice the foot or toes turning blue,or the skin goes red get him to the gp,bad circulation and a infection.Give him regular pain relief.If you notice the pin sights are going ***** and smelly a infection is setting in see your gp straight away.Good Luck and tell him to keep hes pecker up.Hi Frank yes i ok thanks for asking,glad to see you bck.x

Answer 4

I agree with one of the previous answers. The Adrenaline is probably floating off and he is in shock. But watch him and his leg carfully. If the leg turns out to be red and hot, swollen and extremly painful he might develops an allergy against the stainless steel implants, something that is common enough to keep in mind.
But rest and loads of things to redirect his attention from his leg to something else will do a good job.

Answer 5

well i recently broke my tib fib and had a rod and a few screws put in and no plaster either. tell ur son not to be walking around at all, no weight bearing is allowed. At first i tottally felt like crap but now im getting better, im about 6 weeks into my injury and there allowing me to start pt and allowed to put half pressure onto my leg. Some tips, keep it elevated at night, ice wearever his leg gets swollen, my ankle used to get swollen so i would always ice that and sometimes i would even ice my knee. Get him calcium pills and vitamins.

GOOD LUCK in the process, its gonna be hard but telll him he will get through it

Answer 6

The rods and pins are designed so he can mobilise (Weight bear) as normal and maitain use. Give him time to get used to it as it's heavy. It's a little too soon for it to be 'normal' yet. Some encouragement wouldn't go amiss, positive re-inforcement. He will have days when he will feel sorry for himself with the frame as a reminder.

Answer 7

i dont know if this helps, but brad miller, an NBA basketball player on the Sacramento Kings broke his fibula, and had a full healthy recovery (in the course of less than one basketball season)

keep in mind this is a 7 foot athlete that hammers his legs with stress on the court everyday, your son is young and healthy and will probably heal even faster

i wish your son the best, good luck

Answer 8

Give him some homoeopathic Arnica 30c for the injury & accompanying shock - this will help with this & the healing. Also, Symphytum 30c will increase the speed of bone reunion. Hope he's out of pain soon. Please try this as it really does work.

Answer 9

this is normal he is now in a state of shock,the adrenaline rush that kept him going over the past few days is wearing off and depression sets in,he will be fine just loads of rest

Answer 10

Don't put pressure in the bones. They will take longer to heal. Rest is best.