Question about screw placment after Jones Fracture surgery

[foleyfan]

Hi there, I had surgery to place a screw into my fifth metatarsal on 3/19/09 to repair a Jones Fracture of the right foot that had been bothering me for close to a year. I saw the Xray for the first time yesterday at my doctors office. The screw they inserted was sort of diagonal through the bone which is probably normal due to the angle at which the screw enters the bone...however the tip of the screw was extremely close to the edge of the bone (at the far end of the screw, the part that would have entered my bone first, the pointy end) The bone on the side of the foot near the pointy part of the screw actually BULGES outward. I dont understand how that can be normal, bone doesnt bend, does it? and is it supposed to, in response to a screw placement? The doctor said the bone was "adapting" to the screw. To me it looks like they put the screw in too far and punctured the opposite end of the bone or something. My pain is much better that right after surgery but i still have a lot of pain considering I'm supposed to go back to work walking normally in ten days.

Is it normal for the fifth metatarsal bulge out and for the screw to be placed so far into the bone that the pointy end is so close to the opposite edge of the bone from the entry point?

[liz175]

A related discussion, Jones Fracture Plate was started.

[katrina28]

A related discussion, JONES FRACTURE was started.

[katrina28]

A related discussion, jones fracture was started.

[foleyfan]

Thanks. Is it unusual for a screw to be placed slightly diagonally through the bone though? I've googled jones fracture xrays and have not yet seen a screw inserted diagonally. I am not looking for information to accuse the doctor of wrongdoing but I am concerned that the screw being slightly diagonally and fracturing the other side of the bone will cause problems later on that he might not be straight with me about for fear of a lawsuit. I like my doctor and my HMO so thats not what I'm after, but I hope that if it was placed incorrectly and may cause problems later on that he's being straight with me.

[Yena H Do, DPM]

good luck!

[SmilenS]

I am sorry to hear that happened. Bummer! I am glad the Doctor told you what was going on. Good for you in pursuing it!

[foleyfan]

Update to this post, I spoke to my doctor since I posted this and found out that the screw did indeed go in far enough to fracture through the other side and fracture upwards, like a splintered peice of wood. Dr has me on extended non weight bearing, pain meds and a cam walker. I'll go back in two weeks.