Missed fracture?

maryandhersheep · 2021-08-14T18:01:07+00:00

AIBU to wonder if fractures ever get missed on x rays? Fell down a rabbit hole and nurse said no fracture to foot after X-RAY but 3 days later still can't weightbare and the pain is awful? Any experiences?

WhatisanODP · 14/08/2021 19:03

In my A&E all the X-rays are reported by a consultant radiologist within a couple of days. Occasionally some are missed. But we contact them quickly to let the patients know.

CiderJolly · 14/08/2021 19:04

They do sometimes yes.

My little boy fractured his wrist a few weeks ago. The nurse on duty that evening in a&e thought it was broken but whoever was in charge of looking at the X-ray that shift couldn’t find anything.

I had a call the next day from the consultant who routinely reviewed all X-rays from the wknd shift- after blowing up the X-ray he found a small hairline fracture.

They had treated it as if broken anyway and had given a splint and sling. I think it’s quite common for them to be missed.

purplesequins · 14/08/2021 19:05

it can happen.
I broke a metatarsal and the fracture was only visible with an mri scan. and on the x-ray when the cast was taken off a few weeks later.

Kayjay2018 · 14/08/2021 19:06

My mother in laws broken hip was missed first time round (it was a fracture that eventually gave way properly a little while later).

evilkitten · 14/08/2021 19:19

Yep. Mine fracture was spotted on x-ray, but nobody did anything about it. For two weeks my GP dosed me up to the eyeballs with Tramadol to 'help me sleep', and eventually I went to a physio who looked askance and said it was bound to hurt as it was broken. Went back to GP who refused to refer back to x-ray because that had already been done. Eventually, I asked for a copy of my hospital notes, and discovered that the x-ray - and radiologist - did spot it was broken and reported it. However, A&E chose not to tell me, my GP, or actually do anything about it.

The moral of this story is that only you have your best interests at heart, and to believe nobody.

Alternista · 14/08/2021 19:20

If there’s a lot of soft tissue swelling then they can be missed.

CoffeeBeansGalore · 14/08/2021 19:21

Last month of maternity leave, slipped down the stairs at home & ankle was agony, swelled up like a balloon. Went to a&e and was x-rayed. Dr said not broken or fractured. I couldn't weight bear on it which didn't concern them. Told to buy a stretchy bandage if still painful in the morning.

A week later received a letter with an appointment for the fracture clinic in 2 weeks! Was not impressed. I had fractured it. But as this was then 3 weeks later I was given a choice of leave it to continue healing on it's own or have it put in plaster. I opted to leave it.

FatCatThinCat · 14/08/2021 19:23

My DS broke his big toe but we were told it was just bruised. Got a call a few days later to say that it was actually broken.

safclass · 14/08/2021 19:26

Yes they do.
Our nephew (then 8) broke his wrist playibg football. Had xray at local walk in centre, no break. 6days later a call from local a&e to come in. New xray done, fracture picked up.
Niece on other side of family broke her upper arm totally missed at a&e, had to go to docs in so much pain who sent her to a&e xray then picked it up.
Be aware though that ligament/muscle damage can extremely painful and worse to treat - my sis was on crutches for about 10 weeks after injuring her ankle at dancing (not broken though )

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 14/08/2021 19:28

Yes!!! Especially in feet/ ankles as there are so many bones.

HalfShrunkMoreToGo · 14/08/2021 19:36

Yep, I fell and kind of punched the floor as I landed. Went to A&E, was told I had a fractured finger so that was taped up. Got a call a few days later asking me to go back for another X-ray and I'd broken my hand and needed a screw putting in as it was displaced.

Original poster

maryandhersheep · 14/08/2021 19:50

Oh lawd these aren't promising stories! It's more the foot than ankle. Have had ankle sprains before but this is foot focused and pain is another level. Doctor that first examined it was sure it was broken but was reviewed by somebody else who said he couldn't see anything?! It's impossible to walk on and keeping me up at night. There's one tiny 1p sized patch of a bruise and that is it?!

OP posts:

Scoobydoobywho · 14/08/2021 19:55

Our ds fell off a dining chair playing Mario Kart. The chair landed on his leg and he cried for a couple of minutes and then seemed not to bad apart from not putting weight on his leg. Ended with taking him to our walk in centre as after about an hour still wasn't bearing his weight on his leg. Got sent to have an x-ray at the hospital and they couldn't find anything. A week later ( and having developed chicken pox)still not right, back to the walk in, sent back to x-ray. Still couldn't find anything, back home we go. 12 days later, still the same, back to the walk in. Though this time the doctor sent us to the A & E x-ray, they did a proper job of x-raying the whole leg and found a spiral fracture. So nearly 2 weeks and 3 lots of x-rays. We were not impressed.

Scoobydoobywho · 14/08/2021 19:55

Sorry that was so long.

Lunde · 14/08/2021 19:57

I had a missed tibia fracture - it turned up on an MRI scan 2 weeks later

HalloHello · 14/08/2021 19:58

Definitely can be missed occasionally, especially if it's a small fracture but sometimes muscle and tendon injuries can be worse and more painful than fractures. RICE, plenty ibuprofen and paracetamol and if still not improving, might be worth heading for minor injuries! You really do have to properly rest it though.

LemonRoses · 14/08/2021 20:01

Yes they can be missed for a variety of reasons. There can also be no fracture but a sprain which will not heal overnight and will be painful three days later. A serious sprain can take weeks to heal.

Figgyboa · 14/08/2021 20:05

I'm sure they can be missed but foot injuries do take a long time to heal. An upright piano was dropped on my foot, no fracture per the xray but told it would take 6 weeks to heal. I was on crutches for 2 weeks and couldn't wear closed toe shoes for 4.

NaToth · 14/08/2021 20:17

Running injury 16 November. Conservative treatment at home until 24 November. Still struggling to weight bear and in lots of pain. X rayed, told it was soft tissue, conservative treatment advised. 13 December still the same. Another X ray. Same result. Advised to contact GP to get referral for MRI. MRI 7 January showed a fracture in the calcaneus, but nobody told me until I spoke to the GP on a routine matter in February! Appointment with physio in April, further MRI and further appointment in July.

I'm told it's healed now, but it's nine months now and I still can't run on it. Maybe this could have been avoided if the fracture had been discovered earlier.

My manager on the other hand walked round (with great difficulty it has to be said) with a fractured tibia for eight weeks. Her GP insisted it was tendinitis and she had to keep using the leg. She had to beg and beg again to get the scan that showed the fracture.

Imapotato · 14/08/2021 20:19

They can be missed. If it’s a small fracture or a bad X-ray. Soft tissue injuries can be really painful though and take a long time to heal.

Whywhenwhat · 14/08/2021 20:29

Mine was missed and the xray showed no break. The A&E nurse treating me wasn't happy and sent me back immediately to have another xray at a different angle and it was a very obvious and bad fracture.

Original poster

maryandhersheep · 14/08/2021 20:38

@Whywhenwhat

Mine was missed and the xray showed no break. The A&E nurse treating me wasn't happy and sent me back immediately to have another xray at a different angle and it was a very obvious and bad fracture.

Was it your foot? They only took one image of mine?

OP posts:

CovidCorvid · 14/08/2021 20:42

Yep. I had a fracture which was missed on X-ray. Weeks later had an mri…..technically the mri picked it up as it was on the mri report but nobody read the mri report properly and it was missed again. Luckily I asked the consultant for a copy of my mri report and got to the car park and realised my leg was broken!

CovidCorvid · 14/08/2021 20:44

My manager on the other hand walked round (with great difficulty it has to be said) with a fractured tibia for eight weeks. Her GP insisted it was tendinitis and she had to keep using the leg. She had to beg and beg again to get the scan that showed the fracture.

I walked around for nine months with a broken fibula….it never healed…probably because I kept running the whole time even though I was in agony. I actually ran 7k the evening before they finally put me in a plaster cast.

LokihasafryingPan · 14/08/2021 21:04

Currently have a fractured foot, the clinic was quiet when I went so the nurse spent ages with me going through my xray and the 6 old breaks /fractures she could see and even the arthritis my dr is telling me doesnt exist. I've had quite a few foot xrays before and always been told they couldn't see anything.
This time the brusing didnt come out for quite a few days but went from small bruise to the whole of my foot overnight about day 3/4ish.
I was told to go back if I needed, could you go and ask to be looked at again? Also they xrayed my foot from 3 different positions -front and sides