Untreated Fracture

[milly143]

About 6 months ago o/h went over on his ankle playing football. As it was very painful and swollen we went to A&E who x-rayed and said it was just a ligament damage. It's been uncomfortable ever since but last weekend it became very sore again and the swelling came back. He went to docs on Monday morning who sent him back over to A&E where it was x-rayed again. This time they said it was fractured in the first place and I guess they just couldn't see it because of the swelling. He had all week off work, resting it and it's still swollen so he is going back to docs later but what can be done to treat a fracture that wasn't treated initially?

[Sqad]

<<This time they said it was fractured in the first place and I guess they just couldn't see it because of the swelling.<<
Extremely unlikely........they just missed the fracture.

<<what can be done to treat a fracture that wasn't treated initially?<<

If the aligned is satisfactory (if it is straight) then only time and physiotherapy can help.
It cannot be a big deal as the A&E would have referred him to an Orthopaedic Surgeon surgeon but if their is mal-alignment which is not likely, then one has to consider open reduction and pinning, but the latter is extremely unlikely.

[Dris]

Same thing happened (almost identical) to a colleague.His fracture went unnoticed but became painful again after a year and eventually they x-rayed again discovered there had been a fracture (fracture went up the bone if you know what I mean) and he had to have an op to have it pinned.He's not long had his cast off.After the second diagnosis was made it was still a month or so before he was operated on suppose they thought if he'd been walking about for a year with it another wee while wont make much difference.He's fine now -no physio -just goes on an exercise bike to build his muscles up again.(as an aside in the iterim he slipped and fell and broke his wrist -it just wasnt his moment in time poor soul).Hope things work out with your OH

[milly143]

Thanks for the answers. Let's hope it's just a case of physio.

[flicrat]

Try comfrey oil. A knitbone ingredient was amazing when I had a suspected hairline fracture of my foot in August.i had two Xrays, a week apart and the swelling was so bad both times that they could not make a decision. Despite a lump and swelling, I found it was not too painful to massage a minute quantity of oil onto y foot and it seemed to have numbing properties as well as healing. I am not sure if sqad will approve. He may say it is rubbish, but I have given some oil to a friend with a similar problem with good results re pain and lessening of swelling. Still a slight lump for me after all this time,though I long ago stopped treating it. Is it better with resting? I found it was better being walked on,gently. Sitting with it up on a stool etc made it painful and I felt it was being pulled in the way it didn't want to go!

[Dris]

Hope so milly but if it has to be treated otherwise its better than arthritis in later life.Thats the way i'd look upon it.Fingers crossed.