Poster: A snowHead
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Hey guys - just after some perspective from anyone who's found themselves in this situation.
Our daughter broke both the bones in her lower arm last weekend and had to have surgery to have it plated and pinned. I understand that whilst this was necessary it also slows the healing as everything is "fixed" in place. It was quite a nasty break - one bone completely snapped and the other was very bent on the x-ray.
I have so far had two wildly different opinions from orthopaedic consultants. One said she'll be fine after 6 weeks and skiing at New Year is no problem (but he also said she'd be back at school and writing in a couple of days - WRONG!) and the second said we are looking at more like 3 months before riding or skiing as she can't afford for to have another fall before it has healed properly.
I don't suppose there is a snowhead on here who is an orthopaedic surgeon is there lol??!
But any comments / experiences / thoughts welcome.
We are supposed to be going out 28th December for a week - and have already been informed that our Eurostar and TGV tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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flipperthesnowholedigger wrote: |
I don't suppose there is a snowhead on here who is an orthopaedic surgeon is there lol??!
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I believe there is actually , but I can't remember his snowHead name. Perhaps others on here can help?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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flipperthesnowholedigger, I'm no ortho surgeon, but my daughter broke her arm riding a couple of years ago at age 12 and althoughit wasn't as bad as your daughter sounds our experience might be useful.
Mine did a minor crush fracture on a bone just around the wrist - end of the ulna I think. Despite the lesser injury she was in plaster for 4 or 6 weeks (can't quite remember), then wasn't allowed to do any games at school or home which might cause an impact to the arm for another 3 months and even now she sometimes still complains that it aches nearly 18-24 mths on. On the basis of that experience I think skiing on 28th December is optomistic (as your daughter's injury sounds worse than what we dealt with) and you will obviously need to mention the injury to your travel insurance so you can pay a premium to get it covered. If she is signed off by the time of the trip you might be OK with the insurance saying 'yes' if you pay the premium, if you are not signed off you may run into more problems from what I understand.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Quote: |
We are supposed to be going out 28th December for a week - and have already been informed that our Eurostar and TGV tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.
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Which insurance company are you with? If they say it doesn't warrant a refund because you cannot ski then surely they cannot charge an increased premium.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I had a bad break on my wrist which required pinning, and I had that lot removed after 3 months. Even then it still felt weak.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I broke 3 bones in my arm/wrist in November 2007 and went skiing in March 2008. I was back at work the following day, in plaster for 8 weeks and in a splint for a further two weeks, but it wasn't until I went skiing I realised how weak my arm actually was. The physio certainly helped, I wouldn't have managed without it.
Good luck to your daughter.
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flipperthesnowholedigger, can't offer any orthopaedic advice but it doesn't sound as though skiing in December is going to be possible. How disappointing for all concerned. If you have insurance, I'd go for cancellation now, and re-arrange a holiday for late season. Hope the arm is better soon - sounds a nasty injury. Horse-riding is so much more dangerous than skiing!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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flipperthesnowholedigger,
I've skied with my arm still in plaster (clean break of the radius), but I certainly wouldn't reccomend it
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pam w wrote: |
Horse-riding is so much more dangerous than skiing! |
Most of my circle of friends ride and compete, and every time we organise a ski trip, lots won't come in case they get hurt! They're so used the dangers of riding they don't notice them any more, but something new is scary. A group of national Hunt jockeys on a ski trip is a sight to behold though. Totally fearless.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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flipperthesnowholedigger,
Hi
I am a knee surgeon but have seen my fair share of broken bones.
The factors that are important are
Age of daughter.
Which part of bone fractured.
Degree of soft tissue injury.
How it has been fixed.
Im not going to be able to give you an accurate answer having not treated her but i would think that
very few fractures, even in children, are going to be completely safe skiing at three months if they have been plated.
You could take a chance but 3 months is likely to be the realistic minimum.
However i have allowed children to ski if still protected by a fibre glass cast with some some patterns of fracture but almost never any that required an operation to plate it.
I suspect your first offer of advice was somewhat optimistic.
Jonathan Bell
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My daughter did similar but broke both bones when she was 10, surgery and bones plated and pinned and arm in a cast for 6 weeks then cast off, everything out. She was told to be careful and do anything to risk breaking it again (like sliding head first off the table in the playground playhouse ) for the next 3 months before the physio cleared her to just get on with life again.
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