spiral fracture

[al999]

hi im a 23 year old male and usually very fit, i got hit during a shinty match on my tibia with a stick, i got it x rayed and the hospital sent me home and told me to keep walking and keep pressure on my leg, four days later i was at my local fire station where i work and the guys were having a kick about the ball came over in my direction and i simply kicked the ball back with my right leg and while weight bearing on my injured left leg for just a second i felt a god all mighty bang on my leg and have ended up with a spiral fracture, do you think the hospital missed something on my xray?

i have been in a full leg cast for four weeks now and making good progress i have no pain what so ever and can lift my leg and swing it about un aided with no problem, i have a hospital app in two weeks time and they are taking this cast off do you think i will have to get another cast on or could i be lucky and get away with the six weeks?

[Canuck Physio]

Originally Posted by al999

hi im a 23 year old male and usually very fit, i got hit during a shinty match on my tibia with a stick, i got it x rayed
What were the findings?
and the hospital sent me home and told me to keep walking and keep pressure on my leg, four days later i was at my local fire station where i work and the guys were having a kick about the ball came over in my direction and i simply kicked the ball back with my right leg and while weight bearing on my injured left leg for just a second i felt a god all mighty bang on my leg and have ended up with a spiral fracture,
Sounds like a likely mechanism of spiral # injury
do you think the hospital missed something on my xray?
Quite possibly, or perhaps they provided poor advice. Was there no physio on ward to provide advice?
i have been in a full leg cast for four weeks now and making good progress i have no pain what so ever and can lift my leg and swing it about un aided with no problem,
Best to keep that leg strong as possible, ask for physio referral now while you can.
i have a hospital app in two weeks time and they are taking this cast off do you think i will have to get another cast on or could i be lucky and get away with the six weeks?
Likely I would recommend rehab. You will be able to regain the loss of muscle fibres, and subsequent loss of strength, as well be able to get back to fitness level required to play once again. This may require you needing to get to 110-150% better than previous. I recommend this approach.

As above regards

[al999]

What were the findings?
no findings on xray after shinty

Quite possibly, or perhaps they provided poor advice. Was there no physio on ward to provide advice?
no physio on ward it was a doctor who saw me

[morwenna]

There might have been an undisplaced fracture that was missed, possibly, and then it moved the next time you knocked it. Some fractures are not seen at the time of Xrays and are picked up when the radiologist reports on them.

Soem fractures don't show until 2-3 weeks later when they strat forming new bone, and then the fracture is more evident.

Normally after 6 weeks the full length plaster (Are you currently non-weight-bearing?) might be reduced to a below knee cast, depending on how near the knee the fracture is, and you can progress weight-bearing as far as advised. You might be in a cast for another 6 weeks, and you might not be able to full weight bear until then.

Sorry, can't really be more definite as it depends on the injury and the opinions of the doctor concerned!