Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Children's health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Anyone's dc been told no facture on xray then later found to be a fracture?

30 replies

LargeGlassofRed · 11/07/2010 23:01

Ds had a bad fall today, has concussion, cut scrapes and a very painful elbow. Went to a and e and it was xray ed and they said no fracture,
he is still unable to move it without a lot of pain and has had it resting in a pillow since,
what do you think

OP posts:
ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 11/07/2010 23:06

My father had an x-ray after a fall and back pain several weeks ago. Then another x-ray the next week to double-check that there was nothing broken so that they could start physio. Then an MRI scan where they said "No, we can't find any problems, except of course for the two broken vertebrae that the x-ray will have picked up."

There is, in the words of the ward sister "a bit of a kerfuffle" about this...

frogs · 11/07/2010 23:07

Fractures in the frogpond have been obvious, tbh, both on examination and on x-ray.

If they've said it's definitely not a fracture then I'd dose him up to the max on calpol and nurofen and wait to see what it's like in the morning.

GypsyMoth · 11/07/2010 23:09

this happened to my ds....his was on the elbow. luckily a second consultant took a look and called us at home to return to be plastered!

he showed us the fracture on the xray and said it was very easy to miss

tealady · 11/07/2010 23:18

Yep - my dd fell and hurt her arm when she was 2yrs old. She was xrayed and they said it was ok although she had been fairly diificult to xray.

She was still in pain/refusing to use her arm 3 days later so I took her back. She was xrayed again and they found the break.

Rosebud05 · 11/07/2010 23:21

My dd hurt her leg jumping off the sofa last year. The first x-ray at A&E said no fracture, as the the follow-up a couple of days later until a reg phoned the next day to say that the x-ray had been looked at again and there was a hairline fracture. It didn't need any treatment, so didn't affect anything, other than us being aware.
If it's still as painful tomorrow, I'd probably go back for a second opinion.

MardyPig · 11/07/2010 23:28

Ds3 has twice fallen and been in a lot of pain, and very protective of his arm (the same one each time) and it hasn't been clear whether he has fractured his bones or not. There was a lot of discussion between radiologists and consultants. First time round they didn't put him in plaster, second time round they did.

It may just have been a bad sprain but if he's still in pain tomorrow or Tuesday and you are concerned I would definitely take him back.

SparkleRainbow · 12/07/2010 10:32

I fractured my wrist,fingers and elbow when I fell as an adult. I went to a&e was xrayed told nothing was broken, the nurse then put a tube bandage on me, tell me not to make a fuss and nothing was broken, grabbed hold of my fingers and straighten them by pulling them roughly, and sent me home in agony. Phone call the next day from senior radiologist to say all the places I had fractures and to go back to hospital to be put in plaster! Thought about going back to a&e and giving the nurse a piece of my mind, but of course remembered that while they are rightly protected from abuse in the work place, there was nothing I could do about the fact that she didn't feel I deserved the same respect! Gosh sorry about that rant, emotion bubbled up.... My message meant to be, go back to a&e they frequently get it wrong, and I am sure fractures can be hard to see, but it seems an unreasonable level of pain for even a bad sprain, and that alone makes to worth checking. Good Luck

Original poster
LargeGlassofRed · 12/07/2010 12:30

Thanks for all the replys, still painful today and not using it but not very swollen or bruised so, I think I will see how it is tomorrow.

OP posts:
Shaz10 · 12/07/2010 12:32

I had an X ray on my foot, the radiographer said there was nothing there but it was a fracture by the time it got back to the GP's.

SagacityNell · 12/07/2010 12:34

I have rarely had swelling or bruising with any breaks. I have broken or fractured most bones.

belledechocolatefluffybunny · 12/07/2010 12:37

Ahem... in the defence of my profession.... sometimes they are very hard to spot right away, the image is different shades of grey so if it's a subtle break then it's hard to spot. Leaving it a few days can make all the difference, any subtle fracture will start to heal by now and will be more obvious on an x-ray, this is why you should return if it's still painful/swollen/unable to move or unable to put weight on the leg/foot.

beammeupscotty · 12/07/2010 14:55

When I worked in A&E the docs (not experts by a long chalk) would check XRays but then over the course of a couple of days they would go to the radiology consultant to double check and a few fractures did turn up! If this were the case you would be recalled in a couple of days. Signs (bad) of skull fracture are black eyes, bruising behind ears, drainage of clear fluid from the ears or nose. Of course concussion has other symptoms which you would have been told about - these cause actually worse problems than a simple skull fracture.

beammeupscotty · 12/07/2010 15:00

Sorry thought you were posting about the concussion. Elbows are funny things, apparently they have fat pads?? if things are broken. Agree with everyone else if still painful go back. All xrays should be reviewed by an expert though.

iamfabregasted · 12/07/2010 15:08

Well my DD broke her leg two weeks ago, and although my XH is a knob in a lot of ways he did push for them to take another look at the x-ray because he wasn't convinced it wasn't broken.

but, as far as I understand it, a day or two here or there won't make much difference.

My DS1 was weight training and fell off the bench (sort of its a long story) and the big weight landed on his hand.

When he came home (he DROVE!!) I went ballistic, you have to go to XRay etc etc "But Mum its champs tom and sat I can't go to XRay" "Can't let the squad down etc etc"

Anyway, a friend of ours who is a paed came up and strapped the hand into the shape it needed to be for the champs and off he went and competed. His team won as well.

Straight to casualty on the Sunday morning. 4 fractures in the bones in his hand.

Boys. Who'd have em??

Milliways · 12/07/2010 18:42

Yep!

DS was sent home with a bandaged "sprained knee", one Sunday morning, and recalled on Wednesday as he had a fracture "that looked like a growth plate"!

9 weeks of full length cast followed......

Milliways · 12/07/2010 18:43

Oh, and to make me feel worse, he asked "how much worse would it feel if it WAS broken mummy?"

He had been given an exercise sheet to work on!

Iseethepoint · 12/07/2010 18:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
LargeGlassofRed · 12/07/2010 20:05

Thanks all, going to take him back in the morning if no improvement, still very painful if he moves it, felt really sick earlier trying to get a t shirt on.
if it not moving just resting on pillow he says in just aches, but not too bad.

OP posts:
PixieOnaLeaf · 12/07/2010 20:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

JaMmRocks · 12/07/2010 20:08

DP's 'not fractured' ankle from January was in fact broken and he is having an operation on Wed to rectify it

Definitely push to be seen again if you're concerned

herbietea · 12/07/2010 20:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Toughasoldboots · 12/07/2010 20:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SomeWhereOverTheRainbow4 · 12/07/2010 21:08

Yes!! My Daughter twisted her ankle a few years ago, no swelling but an incredible amount of pain. We went to A + E, no break, 2 days later with no improvement went back, still no break - they sent her to pysio.

They made her walk on it and then months later when it still wasn't improving and she'd been on crutches for so long, they did another X-Ray and said "Oh that's a nasty break!!".

I couldn't believe it, it was so obvious too!

Hope he's ok, definately go back if you're worried. xxx

Original poster
LargeGlassofRed · 13/07/2010 13:31

Called a and e earlier and explained ds still in pain, they had a look at his notes and xrays and said there is a fracture! Can you bring him back in!
So now sat in the waiting room at a and e.

OP posts:
SomeWhereOverTheRainbow4 · 13/07/2010 14:56

Oh my goodness!! You poor thing, so pleased you found out now though!

Well done on you for not leaving it! xxx