Aa
broken fib. and painful ankle.
Hi doc. thanks for the reply, much apprciated. first i should tell you that me and another person slipped on ice and my friend fell on my leg causing the fracture, not sure but i may have rolled my ankle at the same time . You mentioned radiographs, not exactly sure what that is but Ive had my sergion look at few X-rays, he was looking at the space between the bones in tha ankle, his concern was wether or not to put a screw in, cause apparently my fractured fibula can cause swelling in the the ankle and thus spreding the bones out of posistion causing instability but he thinks the x-rays look alright, so he sent me home after 6 weeks and asked me to come back in 3 weeks, should i be pushing for a sooner date.
Hi
How are you feeling now? TENS and ultrasound really works for pain. How is that going with you?
As I said earlier that sensations of popping suggests that you might have a ligament weakness and grinding suggests that you might have premature osteoarthritis of ankle joint.
I think we should wait and see the effect of physiotherapy and then decide regarding further intervention.
How are you feeling now? TENS and ultrasound really works for pain. How is that going with you?
As I said earlier that sensations of popping suggests that you might have a ligament weakness and grinding suggests that you might have premature osteoarthritis of ankle joint.
I think we should wait and see the effect of physiotherapy and then decide regarding further intervention.
in addition to my last post , the popping in the ankle occures when I lift my leg off the floor and straighten my foot with my toes pointed towards the floor and then reverse with my toes pointed upwards, back and foreth.
I saw my orthopedist last week after 9 weeks of injury, he felt I was making enough progress to send me home and to get some physio. He must be more confident than I cause I still can't walk due to my bad ankle.. The physiotherapist notice stiffness inside and gave me a bit of ultra sound and tens, gave me some motion exercises to take home, I see him again next week, when I try some of the exercises there is grinding and poping in the ankle ,will this go away or might it need an operation, what do ya think?
Hi Gally,
I am sorry I didn't get your question.
Are you asking that if this is non-union of fracture or fracture fragments, then is the treatment same what you are receiving or is it different?
Firstly, I think it is very premature for us to talk if there would have been non-union or fracture fragments then what could be the treatment.
I think first it is necessary to diagnose that you are having either fracture fragments or non-union.
Yes the treatment approach is different upon diagnosis and it is more of surgical approach.
Keep me informed.
Bye.
I am sorry I didn't get your question.
Are you asking that if this is non-union of fracture or fracture fragments, then is the treatment same what you are receiving or is it different?
Firstly, I think it is very premature for us to talk if there would have been non-union or fracture fragments then what could be the treatment.
I think first it is necessary to diagnose that you are having either fracture fragments or non-union.
Yes the treatment approach is different upon diagnosis and it is more of surgical approach.
Keep me informed.
Bye.
Hi,
We have had extensive discussion regarding your status. This should help you in discussing your condition with your doctor. I think either it could be fracture fragments or non-union of fracture or ligament injury causing your problem or it could be also that fracture fragments causing nerve impingement which in turn causing ligament weakness which aggravated to non-union of fracture.
Keep me informed if you have any queries.
Bye.
We have had extensive discussion regarding your status. This should help you in discussing your condition with your doctor. I think either it could be fracture fragments or non-union of fracture or ligament injury causing your problem or it could be also that fracture fragments causing nerve impingement which in turn causing ligament weakness which aggravated to non-union of fracture.
Keep me informed if you have any queries.
Bye.
This wil probably be my last post until after my appointment , I just wanted too ask you one more question. after are disscusions on line if you might guess as to what might be going on inside my ankle, what might you say? thanks for replies I get back to you later this week. Gally.
Hi,
I think Computed Tomography (CT) should be fine.
CT is a noninvasive diagnostic technique that uses a rotational radiographic source to generate cross-sectional images.
CT is particularly advantageous for musculoskeletal imaging when used with multi-planar, volume-rendered reconstruction techniques.
Yes you should be in a better position after getting results of CT scan.
Keep me informed regarding your appointment with orthopaedician.
Bye.
I think Computed Tomography (CT) should be fine.
CT is a noninvasive diagnostic technique that uses a rotational radiographic source to generate cross-sectional images.
CT is particularly advantageous for musculoskeletal imaging when used with multi-planar, volume-rendered reconstruction techniques.
Yes you should be in a better position after getting results of CT scan.
Keep me informed regarding your appointment with orthopaedician.
Bye.
I see my ortho. in two days , do you have any advise for me, a MRI of the ankle I don't think is an option right now due to about a 6 to 8 month waite to get on the machine in my area. Can a CT scan diagnose my ankle condition a give answers as to weather or not I need A sergical procedure?
Hi,
Fracture fragments can cause problems if in that position they irritate or compromise surrounding structures.
Like if they cause impingement on nerve then it would lead to nerve dysfunction, which will lead to pain, tingling and numbness along the distribution of nerve.
If they cause compromise of vascular supply then it can lead to pain and further gangrene of that part.
Bye.
Fracture fragments can cause problems if in that position they irritate or compromise surrounding structures.
Like if they cause impingement on nerve then it would lead to nerve dysfunction, which will lead to pain, tingling and numbness along the distribution of nerve.
If they cause compromise of vascular supply then it can lead to pain and further gangrene of that part.
Bye.
can fragments that don't heal cause problems, even if the main part of the fib. fracture has healed. I'm trying to explore any possabilities as to why after 9weeks my ankle has persistant pain and lack of function upon full weught bearing, I now can only strongly limp with one crutch?
Hi,
I think it might be due to some fragments which might not have healed. But an x-ray study can tell us about the exact nature of healing and whether any fracture fragments which persist.
As I have mentioned earlier the symptoms experienced by patient if a non-union exists would be;
Patients have a history of a fracture that continues to be painful. The patient may have broken hardware and pain often occurs after use of the limb.
I think it might be due to some fragments which might not have healed. But an x-ray study can tell us about the exact nature of healing and whether any fracture fragments which persist.
As I have mentioned earlier the symptoms experienced by patient if a non-union exists would be;
Patients have a history of a fracture that continues to be painful. The patient may have broken hardware and pain often occurs after use of the limb.
the clicking I was refering to , I think might be coming from the fracture to my fib. that is half way up my leg, It was broken straite through with one or two fragments as well. The clicking is not frequent and quite faint. Might there be a non union or maybe it is just a frament that didn't bond, none the less , could this be a symptom of non union or would there be much harsher sypmtoms to indicate non union?
Hi,
I am not sure whether the clicking sound is coming from knee or not as it is not clear from your post.
But yes any clicking or popping sound suggests that there could be some ligament injury or ligament weakness.
You need to get it checked physically by some orthopaedician.
I am not sure whether the clicking sound is coming from knee or not as it is not clear from your post.
But yes any clicking or popping sound suggests that there could be some ligament injury or ligament weakness.
You need to get it checked physically by some orthopaedician.
My fibula isn't flopping around like it did for the first few days after injury ,but it is tender if I apply pressure from the side with my hand or against another object, sometimes when im shifting around like in bed for example I think i might be sensing some sort of faint clicking, could be reinating from my knee, i'm not to sure. If there is a non union would I feel more than what I've described?
Hi,
Yes, if you have ligament instability and you have fracture too and on top of that if you do weight bearing without getting ligament stability then it would be difficult for fracture union.
Even if it does heal, we have to monitor the progress.
Bye.
Yes, if you have ligament instability and you have fracture too and on top of that if you do weight bearing without getting ligament stability then it would be difficult for fracture union.
Even if it does heal, we have to monitor the progress.
Bye.
Do you mean to say that if I have ligament damadge( which im sure i do) then bearing weight can cause fracture instability?
Hi Gally,
I am sorry that I am not able to respond you on time. But I feel you are online at this hour.
If you are comfortable with your exercise of your ankle, then it should not be stopped on mild pain, but you can reduce the repetition of each exercise to minimum tolerable level.
If while doing that underwater exercise you have any ligament, tendon or nerve damage, the first sign would be feeling of giving away at ankle joint.
Theoretically it should not delay your recovery if you have accompanied ligament injury, but yes this injury might cause fracture instability and hence mal-union or non-union can occur.
Keep me informed if you have any queries.
Bye.
I am sorry that I am not able to respond you on time. But I feel you are online at this hour.
If you are comfortable with your exercise of your ankle, then it should not be stopped on mild pain, but you can reduce the repetition of each exercise to minimum tolerable level.
If while doing that underwater exercise you have any ligament, tendon or nerve damage, the first sign would be feeling of giving away at ankle joint.
Theoretically it should not delay your recovery if you have accompanied ligament injury, but yes this injury might cause fracture instability and hence mal-union or non-union can occur.
Keep me informed if you have any queries.
Bye.
Looks like your busy with alot of other posts, but I was hoping you would get around to awnsering my last post
Ya Gally is my nickname. I don't drink every night but it sounds like I should reduce my consumption as much as possible. My leg is terribly tender so hopefully this wed. when I see the doc. the x-ray will look fine. On the x-ray image my guess is that the bones should be in line, but can you see the bone formation at the joint?
I"ve been going to the pool, in chest deep water been walking around trying to exercise the ankle, the next moring I'm a little stiffer and maybe little sore but not really any more pain, this exersice seems like a good idea to me but what if there is tendon, nerve, or ligament damage in the ankle am I going to further the damage, hence delay recovery?
I"ve been going to the pool, in chest deep water been walking around trying to exercise the ankle, the next moring I'm a little stiffer and maybe little sore but not really any more pain, this exersice seems like a good idea to me but what if there is tendon, nerve, or ligament damage in the ankle am I going to further the damage, hence delay recovery?
Hi Gally,
You can have tenderness after 8 weeks at the fracture site. I mean mild tenderness which is not annoying. If the tenderness is annoying then you need to evaluate the cause of such tenderness with help of imaging study and also by examination from your surgeon.
The symptoms are as follows;
Patients have a history of a fracture that continues to be painful.
The patient may have broken hardware.
Pain often occurs after use of the limb.
Keep me informed if you have any queries.
Bye.
You can have tenderness after 8 weeks at the fracture site. I mean mild tenderness which is not annoying. If the tenderness is annoying then you need to evaluate the cause of such tenderness with help of imaging study and also by examination from your surgeon.
The symptoms are as follows;
Patients have a history of a fracture that continues to be painful.
The patient may have broken hardware.
Pain often occurs after use of the limb.
Keep me informed if you have any queries.
Bye.
Hi Gally,
Is that your name? If not, what should I address you?
Your question regarding your alcoholism every 3rd day and healing says that alcohol is bound to delay bone healing and effect bone remodeling.
Chronic and heavy alcohol consumption is known to contribute to low bone mass, decreased bone formation, an increased incidence of fractures, and delayed fracture healing, a review article in the December 2005 issue of Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research points out [*].
Heavy drinking disrupts the balance in bone remodeling by suppressing new bone formation by osteoblasts, says author Dr Dennis Chakkalakal (Orthopedic Research Laboratory and Alcohol Research Center, Omaha Veterans Affairs [VA] Medical Center, Creighton University, NE).
But experimental evidence suggests that stopping drinking leads to a prompt recovery of osteoblast function, and this has important clinical implications.
You can find the above mentioned information on following URL;
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/538462
*-Chakkalakal DA. Alcohol-induced bone loss and deficient bone repair. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2005; 29:2077-2090.
Keep me informed if you have any queries.
Bye.
Is that your name? If not, what should I address you?
Your question regarding your alcoholism every 3rd day and healing says that alcohol is bound to delay bone healing and effect bone remodeling.
Chronic and heavy alcohol consumption is known to contribute to low bone mass, decreased bone formation, an increased incidence of fractures, and delayed fracture healing, a review article in the December 2005 issue of Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research points out [*].
Heavy drinking disrupts the balance in bone remodeling by suppressing new bone formation by osteoblasts, says author Dr Dennis Chakkalakal (Orthopedic Research Laboratory and Alcohol Research Center, Omaha Veterans Affairs [VA] Medical Center, Creighton University, NE).
But experimental evidence suggests that stopping drinking leads to a prompt recovery of osteoblast function, and this has important clinical implications.
You can find the above mentioned information on following URL;
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/538462
*-Chakkalakal DA. Alcohol-induced bone loss and deficient bone repair. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2005; 29:2077-2090.
Keep me informed if you have any queries.
Bye.
maybe I'm just paranoid cause it is still tender in the area of the facture, is it normal to be tender 8 weeks after injury, if so than up to how long might one feel some tenderness for? and what are some symptoms of a non-union. My x-rays must have looked okay when I saw the orthopedist two weeks ago, or I sure he would have said something.
Hi Gally,
How are you feeling?
Your first question is regarding, non union fibula a bad thing?
-Yes it is indeed a bad thing.
Does it require attention?
-Yes it definitely requires attention and an immediate one.
Does an X-ray show if the fracture has healed properly?
-Yes x-ray will indeed show whether the fracture has healed properly or not.
Keep me informed if you have any queries.
Bye.
How are you feeling?
Your first question is regarding, non union fibula a bad thing?
-Yes it is indeed a bad thing.
Does it require attention?
-Yes it definitely requires attention and an immediate one.
Does an X-ray show if the fracture has healed properly?
-Yes x-ray will indeed show whether the fracture has healed properly or not.
Keep me informed if you have any queries.
Bye.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Orthopedics Community
Find out if PRP therapy right for you.
Tips for preventing one of the most common types of knee injury.
Tips and moves to ease backaches
How to bounce back fast from an ankle sprain - and stay pain free.
Patellofemoral pain and what to do about it.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
