Question about Crush injury

[brune105]

Hello. I had a accident 10 days ago where a four-wheeler trailer fell back and landed on my leg and ankle. I sustained a crush injury to the lower right leg and fracture to the ankle. I was just put in a cast today for the fracture to the ankle. The cast goes up the entire length of the bruise on the leg where the trailer landed. The doctor told me that I needed to start walking on my leg with the cast on but it causes extreme pain in my ankle and in my leg where it was injured. The cast seems to put a lot of pressure on the area of bruising. I also find it impossible to keep my leg out straight when trying to walk on it. How long should I expect for healing time for this sort of crushing injury. I had a lot of swelling and bruising at the site along with my ankle and foot swelling. And also, do you really think that it is okay to try walking on my ankle already? As a matter of fact, the doctor couldnt even read my MRI on the computer because he was computer illiterate and didnt get to look at the x-ray either because the power in the office went out, and he continued to put the cast on anyways without even seeing how the bones were sitting in my ankle! Am I being paranoid or is this ludicrous? Any suggestions would be helpful, as I am having a hard time with this pain.

[brune105]

Hi suri123. Well I went back to the doctor whom I was not liking and he put a cast on even though he did not know if I had a fracture or not bc he could not get a good look at the x-rays (said they were too small). So I had the cast on for 10 days. After that I went to see a different orhtopedic dr. and he took the cast off and did a repeat x-ray. They showed no fracture and so he said I needed to begin physical therapy. I havent begun the therapy yet. As of right now, i have lots of blood pooled up in my lower leg from like mid calf down to my ankle. I also have numbness and weakness. I have pretty much no range of motion in my ankle and cannot put my leg out straight because it leads to extreme pain in my calf muscle. I also have swelling in my ankle. I am hoping that physical therapy will help. I am still on Darvacet for pain. It makes it bearable but still painful at times. I will keep you posted how PT is going. Thanks

[Suri123]

Hi bruen105, thanks for your reply and updating. Well, you can go in for the follow up with the same orthopedic doctor and get re-examined and i hope you might have got it done by this time. I do not see any reason for a doctor not to give a second opinion or to attend to the patient even if seen by some other physician earlier. Hope you are feeling better than before? Is pain still bothering you and are you taking pain medications? Continue rest and moving your toes. Please update on the doctor recheck/follow up advice. Take care and share your thoughts.

[brune105]

Hello, Suri123. I have been feeling a bit better, but not tremendously. I have been trying to get in somewhere else for a second opinion, but the doctors around here do not even want to see you if you have already been treated by someone else already. Apparently they dont like to do second opinions. My family physician advised me to go back to my orthopedic doctor for my appointment friday to see how it goes and if it still goes badly she will try to get me in somewhere else but it could take a few weeks. I do not have my cd of x-ray and MRI results as I took them to the orthopedic doctor and they put them in my file. I do remember some of what the report said, something a little like this: Severe diffuse tissue swelling, edema, sclerotic line through the talar neck compatible with a fracture of the talar neck. That is about all I can remember. We will see how tommorrow goes, which I am not predicting very well. I will let you know how it goes.

[Suri123]

Hi, brune105, how are you doing? Thanks for your updates and I still feel you need to go ahead and get the second opinion from another orthopedic doctor. Can you post the x-ray and MRI results? It’s fine to keep moving your toes and watch for numbness or swelling in foot but bearing weight or trying to walk is not advisable. Continue with pain medicine and take as much rest as you can. Update me on your doctor visit and take care of you.

[brune105]

Thank you Suri123. The doctor I saw was a orthopedist, but he seemed very unsure of what he was doing during my visit. I just do not feel he was very thorough as he didnt even get a good at the x-ray or MRI before putting the cast on. And the fact that he wanted me to get right up and start walking made me a little leery. I did understand that I need to keep moving to prevent blood clots in my leg from the crush injury but I just dont know. I plan on getting a second opinion from another orthopedic doctor this week. And I am taking Darvacet for pain, which helps a little. Also, the cast seems to make the injury on my leg feel a little better, but my ankle is still in quite a bit of pain especially when i try to put any weight on it, which is minimal. I am not trying to push things. I will keep you updated.

[Suri123]

Hi brune105, how are you? Sorry to know about you having met with accident. I do understand how you are going through this difficult time of pain and stress. Firstly, is the doctor a orthopedician - bone specialist if not, please consult a ortho doctor and get a second opinion earliest. See for any numbness in in foot or movement in toes if hampered? Can you post the MRI and the x- ray findings? Also it is better not to bear weight on your right leg and should take rest with bit elevation of limb while you sleep. OTC pain killers may help to reduce pain. Hope you will do better soon. Do update on your progress and ortho doctor advise. Take care.