 Poster: A snowHead
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My 17 year old daughter broke her wrist snowboarding last week. She's had it x-yayed and set in plaster and as of Monday (6 days after the accident) they say it's healing fine.
The dilema we are now faced with is this:
We've been told that she needs it looking at again two weeks after it was broken to check that it hasn't moved. Problem is that it will be very difficult for us to get back to the hospital untill a couple of days after that deadline, which would be 16/17 days after the break happened. We,ve been told that it MUST be seen at 2 weeks or any problems can't be rectified, but I can't help but wonder if that extra 2 or 3 days can really make such a critical difference? Anyone got any experience of this sort of thing?
Yes I know this is a snowsports forum, not a medical forum, but just wondered if anyone has had simular situation?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Tim M, I broke mine in November 2007 falling off a mountain bike. 
Mine was both distal radius and ulna fractures and seriously displaced. I opted to have reduction under a local block rather than under GA after which it was set in plaster and I had to go back for an X-ray after 2 weeks for the same reason as your daughter. The swelling had subsided considerably during the two weeks and the plaster cast was no longer a snug fit so definitely needed to be replaced. However, the reduction had stayed in place thankfully and I didn't need any further manipulation.
I had a second plaster cast for another 6 weeks and then a futura splint for a further 2 weeks, followed by month's course of physiotherapy. I haven't completely regained a full range of movement but it's perfectly strong and pain-free and I even managed to go skiing in the March following the fracture (admittedly my arm wasn't very strong then).
So, I would say it very much depends on how much the swelling has subsided for your daughter and whether there is a lot of movement inside the cast as to whether there is a risk of further movement.
The other problem is you might find that your hospital's ortho clinic only operates one day a week (mine did), so a delay would be a week's delay rather than a couple of days.
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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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We,ve been told that it MUST be seen at 2 weeks or any problems can't be rectified, but I can't help but wonder if that extra 2 or 3 days can really make such a critical difference?
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Do you think that NHS patients who fracture their wrists on a Saturday will be seen two weeks later on the Saturday?
The straight answer is that two weeks is a target. What you don't want as an orthopaedic surgeon is that the fracture has slipped and set, but a couple of days either way is not going to make any difference (IMHO).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Freddie Paellahead, +1. I broke my wrist really badly, also Bennetts Thumb fracture in a bad motorbike accident September 2008, and it was permanently plated under long GA operation, 3 days in hospital, NHS were absolutely brilliant. In plaster for 6 weeks, taken off 2 weekly cycle and x-rayed, re-potted 2x at 2 and 4 weeks. Mega itchy as 12 stitches healed and lots of swelling reduction quickly and then muscle wastage, amazed me how quick. 15 sessions of Physio asap as soon as pot off at 6 weeks 3x a week for 1/2 hour (private), no movement at first but within 3 months full movement, now perfect (thumb not so good, only partial movement but at least now it points in the right direction!). Skied in Jan/ Feb and March 2009, c/w velcro full wrist support, and now skiing/ mountainbiking back to normal and never think about it. Aches in very cold weather, think its the titanium plates/ pins in wrist that get cold, eg -20C. I always wear a velcro wrist support if going seriously off-piste for the day, you never know etc!
Hope this helps - the key is pester NHS for X-Rays and re-pot it every 2 weeks to ensure it gets support, 2-3 days late a 2 weeks will make no problem, and get physio on it literally as soon as you can at 6 weeks, mega painful at first and she'll think its never going to be right, force it and do the the excercises, a little progress every session and keep it moving at all times. Takes 3 months to get somewhere near ready IMO for skiing/ boarding I suggest, however at 17 years old she will heal quicker I reckon. 
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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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If you don't get reviewed until day 16/17 and the bones have slipped and an operation is needed (not uncommon) you get added to the waiting list of urgent trauma cases, which may be another 2 or 3 days...by which time the fracture is 3 weeks old and it is more difficult to fix. Not impossible but if it were my wrist, I'd make the effort to get there for the 2 week review.
I broke my wrist pretty badly 4 weeks ago whilst skiing, required plating straight away, but was driving at 3 weeks and now back at work, operating on other unfortunate patients again!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Nope - I went to my 3 week clinic appointment, asked my surgeon if I could drive and he said yes! I too was quite surprised but wasn't going to argue. To be fair, I have been militant about doing my physio since about an hour after I came around from the anaesthetic and am not too far off having full movement back now. Surgeon did an amazing job!
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I broke mine on my motocross bike a few years ago, it swelled up like hell and was told if it didn't go down I would have to have surgery to sort it out, but the pills they gave me at the hospital brought the swelling down so they could plaster it then. Went back a couple of weeks later and it was still inline so didnt need an opp, think its the luck of the draw. Saying that I broke my arm on the other side about 15 years before and that was ok too.
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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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Tim M, what can be more important than getting back to the hospital and getting your daughters wrist checked at the prescribed time???
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Nothing is more important than health.
What I was trying to establish was whether there was a medical reason that they had to see her on an exact date, or was it simply that particular time and date was more convenient for the particular doctor.
It turned out that it was the latter. We were able to see a different doctor a couple of days later.
As for the reason it would have been inconvenient, she was in Spain on an exchange trip (part of her A level studies). To fly her home for a checkup 2 days before she was due home anyway would have been inconvenient, but if there had been a medical reason why we had to do so then we obviously would have.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hi Tim,
I haven't any knowledge about that but I have some experience in this kind of the era... I also have had broken wrist in my childhood and cure by plaster method... I remember clearly that I feel much pain at that time and can't bear that one in that age.......
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FAQ
( 
) But surely your Orthopod gave you the usual dont drive for 6 weeks spiel and threatened you with the 'insurance wont cover you' chat?
