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Broken bones
14 Answers
A friend of mine has a broken leg (tibia and fibula), she's had to have a pin put in to fix it.
She's got a light cast on at the moment, it's not a 'walking' cast.
Her doctor has told her to keep her leg elevated, so all she does all day is lie on the settee with her leg up and play on her computer, should she be trying to move about? Should she be trying to get outside.
I'm worried that she might get DVT or some other nasty thing from just sitting round all day. She doesn't even get dressed.
If you've had a broken bone, or if you're medically qualified in some way, could you please let me know what you think. Could you also tell me how long she should be in her cast for.
Thank you.
She's got a light cast on at the moment, it's not a 'walking' cast.
Her doctor has told her to keep her leg elevated, so all she does all day is lie on the settee with her leg up and play on her computer, should she be trying to move about? Should she be trying to get outside.
I'm worried that she might get DVT or some other nasty thing from just sitting round all day. She doesn't even get dressed.
If you've had a broken bone, or if you're medically qualified in some way, could you please let me know what you think. Could you also tell me how long she should be in her cast for.
Thank you.
Answers
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Surely her doctor is medically qualified and therefore what he tells her should be correct? If there was a chance of DVT then surely the doc would know and advise something different?
Why would she try to get outside with a broken leg? Whether she gets dressed or not is neither here nor there, some weekends I don't get dressed and I haven't broken anything recently!
How long she should be in her cast? Again, a question for the doctor. Surely it depends on what has been broken and how badly? A pin sounds like it is a bad break and therefore possibly needs more time in plaster than a hairline fracture.
I broke my elbow in December (not badly) and didn't even get a sling, never mind plaster. They told me to keep it as mobile as much as possible. As I said, different breaks need different treatment.
Why would she try to get outside with a broken leg? Whether she gets dressed or not is neither here nor there, some weekends I don't get dressed and I haven't broken anything recently!
How long she should be in her cast? Again, a question for the doctor. Surely it depends on what has been broken and how badly? A pin sounds like it is a bad break and therefore possibly needs more time in plaster than a hairline fracture.
I broke my elbow in December (not badly) and didn't even get a sling, never mind plaster. They told me to keep it as mobile as much as possible. As I said, different breaks need different treatment.
I broke my ankle in 1994. It was a very nasty break needing plates, pins & rods. For the first 2 weeks I had a 1/2 cast, which was a plaster cast but cut down the middle & bandaged over. This was due to the swelling that the surgeon said would go down after that time. For those 2 weeks I sat on my bum only getting up to go to the loo, have a shower & go to bed, using crutches. My leg was elevated as much as I could. Then I got a fibreglass cast & was much more mobile but still on crutches. The fibreglass cast, (which was yellow) was lighter so I could move around easier, so I did a few easy, short chores & made the odd dinner. When I did sit, I kept my leg elevated to minimise DVT. Then I got the cast off, had some physio & I was up & running within a couple of weeks or so.
Then, a year later, I had the hardware taken out of my ankle. Easy. No crutches but it was sore & a little tender for a week or so, then again, I was off.
Then, a year later, I had the hardware taken out of my ankle. Easy. No crutches but it was sore & a little tender for a week or so, then again, I was off.
not medic qualified - tho experienced! Daughter had same last May - pins in ankle & plate in lower left leg. She can't drive her manual, uses my automatic - I get her super wee sporty car ;-)
The plate gets cold and causes pain so she wears Uggs (think that's the make) boots - they help. The ankle - achilles tendon, that is pinned, still doesn't have sufficient strength for her car's clutch pedal; 10mts on now.
The plate gets cold and causes pain so she wears Uggs (think that's the make) boots - they help. The ankle - achilles tendon, that is pinned, still doesn't have sufficient strength for her car's clutch pedal; 10mts on now.
Hopping around on crutches is not as easy as it looks and just doing day to day stuff is a lot more time consuming and tiring.
Its common advice to keep the leg elevated to aid healing but its also more comfortable. As for going out, I didn't for several weeks, where surfaces are uneven and slippery. Don't forget you are basically balancing on two sticks when you take the good leg off the floor to move forward. You tend to be nervous of falling again for quite a while afterwards
Its common advice to keep the leg elevated to aid healing but its also more comfortable. As for going out, I didn't for several weeks, where surfaces are uneven and slippery. Don't forget you are basically balancing on two sticks when you take the good leg off the floor to move forward. You tend to be nervous of falling again for quite a while afterwards
THEN, from about 2006, my ankle started to get very painful & was diagnosed with arthritis by an orthopaedic surgeon who suggested an ankle replacement. I had the surgery in May 2007 & was in a 1/2 cast again for 2 weeks with leg elevated. Then I was put in a "moon boot" but still not able or allowed to walk on my ankle. The moon boot is able to be taken off at any time so showering, etc is easier. Then the moon boot came off after 8 weeks, some physio was had & it's great now.
I forgot to say how long I was in casts & not able to walk during the first break in '94. It was 8 weeks.
The ankle replacement was 10 weeks.
I had no problems at all with DVT in keeping my leg elevated & sitting still most of the time. I did though, wiggle my toes a lot to just sort of keep something moving. It hurt a bit for a start but it got easier.
Waiting for a broken bone, (especially a leg or ankle bone), to heal is a waiting game. You can't hurry it. At the beginning, it hurts so you're quite happy to sit & not move. Then you don't want to sabotage the healing by walking on it too soon, etc.
DVT is very, very rare in a person sitting with a leg elevated in a cast my surgeon said. So you need not worry. Under no circumstances should your friend walk on her leg until the doctor says she can. This can be up to 8 weeks. Look upon it as a nice, relaxing holiday where she can catch up on reading & day dreaming & resting. Remember, her body has had a huge shock in having the bones broken, then having surgery & a pin inserted. The weeks are for her body to heal & regenerate, she needs all the rest she can in the first few weeks.
Unfortunately, the last couple of weeks can be a bit frustrating as you feel better & stronger & you want the cast, or whatever, off NOW & be able to walk normally again. Rather like an overdue baby, you want it out now! LOL.
I forgot to say how long I was in casts & not able to walk during the first break in '94. It was 8 weeks.
The ankle replacement was 10 weeks.
I had no problems at all with DVT in keeping my leg elevated & sitting still most of the time. I did though, wiggle my toes a lot to just sort of keep something moving. It hurt a bit for a start but it got easier.
Waiting for a broken bone, (especially a leg or ankle bone), to heal is a waiting game. You can't hurry it. At the beginning, it hurts so you're quite happy to sit & not move. Then you don't want to sabotage the healing by walking on it too soon, etc.
DVT is very, very rare in a person sitting with a leg elevated in a cast my surgeon said. So you need not worry. Under no circumstances should your friend walk on her leg until the doctor says she can. This can be up to 8 weeks. Look upon it as a nice, relaxing holiday where she can catch up on reading & day dreaming & resting. Remember, her body has had a huge shock in having the bones broken, then having surgery & a pin inserted. The weeks are for her body to heal & regenerate, she needs all the rest she can in the first few weeks.
Unfortunately, the last couple of weeks can be a bit frustrating as you feel better & stronger & you want the cast, or whatever, off NOW & be able to walk normally again. Rather like an overdue baby, you want it out now! LOL.
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